Eye of the Beholder
by Ilovetoread09
Summary: She was naïve to believe that their relationship would be easy. She was different, and that was the problem. AU
1. Preface

AN: Okay, this going to be a multi- chap. It's different from other stuff on here, but it's also not. You'll see what I mean. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome, especially for this.

Disclaimer: Did Mr. Marlowe get his SAT score today? No? Then, I don't own Castle.

* * *

Preface

Kate stood out on the balcony, avoiding the party inside. She thought she could handle it, but she couldn't. She and Castle thought it would be a good to let their relationship be known during the party. Everything had been going fine, and Kate was having fun. That was,until she started hearing the whispers.

_"That's her? Not much there."_

_"I thought he would pick someone more attractive."_

_"Look at her face."_

_"That scar is huge."_

She excused herself from Castle's company, walking out onto the balcony, taking her champagne glass with her. She slowly sipped from the glass, trying to block the sounds of the chatter coming from inside. She could not believe she had been naive enough to think that everything would be alright. She had been foolish enough to think that everyone would accept her, scars and all. She knew it was stupid though. She was in the crowd where looks mattered and perfection was always trying to be obtained. She would not be easily accepted into their lives, since she was not like them. That's why Castle was so enamored with her. According to him, she was different and he liked that. He also thought she was beautiful. After the whispers that had been floating around though, Kate would beg to differ. While taking another sip of her champagne, she heard footsteps approach her. She turned around to see her boyfriend staring at her.

"Hey." Rick said quietly.

"Hey." She replied, making an attempt to smile.

"Are you okay?" He murmured, walking towards her. She shrugged her shoulders, and smiled a little.

"I'm all right."

"Doesn't look like it to me." He said, gently cupping her cheek. She leaned into his touch, and a genuine smile spread across her face. He was the only man who dared to touch that side of her face, the one with the scars. "You're beautiful, and don't let anyone tell you any different." He murmured, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"Thank you." She whispered. It amazed her that he knew just what to say to her She sighed and closed her eyes, remembering the events that had brought them to that moment...

* * *

AN: Hopefully this gives you guys an idea without giving too much away. The title is subject to change. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.


	2. Chapter 1

AN: So,like everyone else on the east coast, I'm trying to get this out before the storm. I keep on forgetting to tell you guys I have a twitter. It's Ilovetoread09. I usually use it for story updates or ramble about ideas. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter One

_Eight months earlier_

Kate braced herself as she entered the classroom. It was her first day teaching at Marlowe Preparatory High School, and she was nervous as hell. She had taught in another school before, but that was for second grade, an easy task compared to the current one she faced. Eight year olds were nothing compared to hormonal teenagers. She was replacing the previous English teacher who had 'voluntarily' stepped down during the mid-term break. As she walked through the door, she heard the principal, Mr. Keating, finish explaining to the new students that they had a new English teacher. As he left the room, he gave a smile and wished her good luck.

As Kate crossed the room, she started hearing whispers from the students.

"_Damn, she's hot."_

_"I wonder if she'll be as bad as Ms. Scatcherd." _

_"I hope she's nice."_

_"She's okay looking, but her face looks a little off."_

Kate frowned at the last statement. She thought she had put enough makeup on that morning. She knew that the texture of her skin was a little off, but it was barely noticeable with makeup on. Shaking off the thought, she looked at the class list that was on the desk. The current class was the Sophomore honors class. Having quickly glanced at the syllabus for each class earlier, she recalled that this was the class that was covering the Transcendentalist period.

An easy enough topic. She thought to herself.

"I'm Miss Beckett, and I will be your new English teacher for the rest of the year." She began. "Now let me take attendance so I can learn your names." Kate then quickly called out names. "Alexis Castle?" She called out when she reached the Cs.

"She's absent." A student shouted. Kate just nodded and proceeded down the list. After completing the roll call, Kate proceeded with the lesson. The period went by quickly, and before she knew it, the bell rang.

"For homework, I want you to write a paragraph about the time you didn't conform to something." She said as the students began to leave. As they day went on, Kate found herself falling into the routine with ease. The schedule was easy to remember, but it rotated each day according to what letter day it was. Luckily, the lunch periods did not rotate. When it was time for lunch, Kate looked around the faculty lounge. She had not spoken to any of the teachers earlier that day, so she did not have anyone to talk to. However, much to her surprise and pleasure, an African-American female waved her over to a nearby table.

"You must be the fresh meat." The woman stated. "Come and sit down. I'm Lanie Parish by the way."

"Kate Beckett, and yes, I'm the new English teacher."

"Well, welcome to Marlowe Prep. I'm the anatomy teacher, as well as the chemistry and biology teacher. What brings you to Marlowe Prep?"

"I used to teach second graders, but I wanted a change of scenery."

"Second grade to high school is quite a leap." Lanie said with a raised eyebrow.

Kate shrugged saying, "I've always liked a challenge. It's a refreshing change so far."

"Wait till you get to know them. Some students still act like second graders, I swear." Lanie replied, shaking her head. "Most of the kids are good though." Kate just laughed, taking a bite of her ham sandwich.

"So," Kate said, lowering her voice. "can you give me some information about some of the teachers?"

"Girl, I thought you would never ask!" Lanie exclaimed. She then proceeded to tell Kate about some of the teachers. Most of the descriptions were fairly mundane, some were a little zany. "Watch out for Mr. Lacosta." Lanie warned. "He thinks he's quite a ladies man." She snickered.

"I doubt I'll have to worry about that." Kate muttered. She looked okay with makeup on, but a good majority of guys ran in the other direction when it came off.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, you seem to be his type. Young, gorgeous, not to mention sexy." Lanie replied, giving her a wink.

Kate burst out laughing. "I've only known you for forty minutes, and you're calling me sexy. Something tells me we're going to become great friends." They were interrupted by the bell, signaling the end of the period. "Well, I'm off to teach AP. See you later." Kate said.

The rest of the day went by smoothly. Kate had no problems teaching the classes and found them quite fun. When the day ended, Mr. Keating called her into his office.

"So, did you enjoy your first day?" He asked, inspecting her through his glasses.

"Yes, I really do like it here." She said.

"So I assume you'll be here, on time, tomorrow?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." She replied politely.

"Well," he said, standing up."it's a pleasure to have you on board, Ms. Beckett."

"The pleasure is all mine, sir." She said, shaking his hand. She left the office with a smile on her face. When she arrived home, she plopped down on the couch and kicked off her shoes. A few moments later, her phone rang.

"Hello?" She said.

"Hi Katie." Johanna Beckett replied on the other end.

"Hey mom, what's up?" Kate asked, sitting up

"I just wanted to see how the first day at the new school was. Were the children nice?" Johanna asked teasingly.

"Very funny, Mom." Kate replied, rolling her eyes, but smiling. "Yes, everyone was fine. I actually really like the school."

"I'm glad dear. I know you really wanted a change." Her mother replied. It was then that Kate noticed something was off. The older Beckett's breathing was a little off. A normal person would not have noticed it, but Kate knew her mother too well.

"What have you been doing today?" Kate asked with suspicion.

"I did some errands." Johanna replied offhandedly. " I also helped Mrs. Gomez bring her groceries up the stairs."

Kate groaned. "You know what the doctor said about exerting yourself."

"Katie, if I spent all my time listening to what the doctor said, I wouldn't be living a proper life."

"Yes, but the bronchitis could start acting up again. You know how much of a risk that is at your age." Kate knew that her mother as stubborn as a mule when it came to how to live.

"I know, but that hasn't stopped me. I'm still arguing cases like always. I know I get a little excited at times, but I just take my medication afterward."

Kate sighed. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will, dear. Oh, a client's calling. I need to go. Talk to you tomorrow, I love you."

"I love you too." Kate murmured, before hanging up. She sighed as she slumped down on the couch. Her mother could be so frustrating. A trait Kate had apparently inherited. Both her and her mother were similar, according to other people. Both of them had physical and mental scars from the incident years before. The only difference was that Kate was a little more insecure about her physical scars than her mother was. Not wanting to dwell on the thoughts any longer, Kate got up and went to go make dinner.

* * *

AN: Okay, that's the first full chapter. Kudos to whoever spots the references to a movie and a book within the chapter. Also, tell me what you think happened to Kate and her mother.


	3. Chapter 2

AN: Here is the result of a brief moment of wi-fi connection. Anyway, I hope you like it, and I hope my fellow east-coasters and anyone else affected by the storm are safe. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter Two

_Kate's eyes stung from the smoke in the air and her breathing was heavy. She frantically searched the apartment for her mother._

_"Mom, where are you?" She shouted from her bedroom._

_"I'm in the living room. Katie, go out the fire escape, now!"Her mother shouted._

_"Come on then," Kate said. She could barely see her mother through the smoke at that point. As she made her way to the fire escape,which was in her parents' room, pieces of debris started to fall. Kate turned around to see her mother trying to avoid the falling debris. "Mom, we need to move."_

_"I'm trying, Katie, I'm trying," replied Johanna, approaching Kate. As Johanna got closer, Kate held out her hand to help her over the debris. Realizing she was not close enough, Kate stepped forward. As she did this, she slipped on a piece of debris and fell to the ground. She landed on the side of her face, the flames approaching quickly. The flames then started to engulf the side of Kate's face_

_"Katie!" Her mother screamed._

Kate's eyes shot open. She sat up in bed, looked around, and sighed, realizing she was safe in her apartment. Glancing at her alarm clock, she saw that she had to get up in ten minutes for work. Getting out of bed, Kate made her way to the bathroom. As she stood in front of the mirror, she stared at her reflection. She lifted her hand, and let her fingers gently touch the right side of her face. It felt a little like leather, and was stiff to the touch. The skin was blotchy and red. The outline of the scar, which went from the lobe of her ear to the edge of her mouth, made it look like a shallow crater had formed. Frowning, Kate quickly grabbed the jar of concealer and proceeded to cover the scar. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, Kate got dressed and went out to grab coffee.

When she arrived at the shop, Kate stood in line, and glanced at the selection of drinks, deciding to try something new. She was so engrossed in the menu, that she accidentally bumped into the woman in front of her.

"I'm sorry," Kate said.

"It's all right dear," the woman replied. Kate took a moment to look at the woman. She had red hair, striking green eyes, and was fairly tall. She looked to be about sixty. "I'm Martha."

"Kate," she replied with a smile. It was then that she noticed the box of pastries in the woman's hand. "That looks like a lot of cookies for this early in the morning."

"Oh, these aren't for me, they're for my granddaughter. I prefer a martini in the morning," Martha joked, and then shook her head. "The poor thing is sick with Mono. She's upset that she is missing school, so I thought I would buy her some cookies to cheer her up. Although, between you and me, I think her father wanted them more since he eagerly agreed to the idea."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Men," she said simply.

"You learn to live with them," Martha stated, placing her purchase on the cashier's counter. After paying for her item, Martha turned around. "It was nice meeting you, Kate. Maybe we'll meet again sometime," she said, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"It was nice meeting you too," Kate called out as Martha left the store. After ordering her drink, Kate walked the two blocks to Marlowe Prep. She found herself pulling her coat tightly around her, due to the frosty February air. She took a quick sip of her coffee, delighting in the caramel flavor. When she arrived at the school, she found that it was fairly crowded. Students filled the halls, talking with their friends before school started. Kate entered her classroom, and sat down at her desk. She glanced at the schedule and saw that she had one of the freshman classes first. Since Kate was one of the few teachers who did not have a homeroom, she did not have the extra responsibility of making announcements or handing out school forms.

As she was going over her lesson plans for the day, someone knocked on the doorframe. Kate looked up to see that it was Mr. Lacosta who, much to Kate's misfortune, was the head of the English department. Kate had to admit that he was fairly good looking. He had short black hair, hazel eyes, and he was of medium height. He was fairly well built, and as he walked into the classroom, Kate could tell he was full of confidence.

"Hello, I'm Mr. Lacosta, but you can call me Daniel. I take it you're the new English teacher?"

"Yes, that would be me. I'm Kate Beckett," Kate replied, standing up to shake his hand. She did not miss how his eyes roamed her body, and eventually came back to settle on her face.

"I would be lying if I told you that you had a lot to live up to. The previous teacher wasn't exactly one of our best."

"Well, I'll try my best to make up for that."

He grinned, saying "I'm sure you will. Say what lunch period do you have free? Maybe we could chat and learn a little about each other." He tried give her a charming smile, but Kate refused to succumb to it.

"That's very kind of you, but I'd rather not." Kate responded, politely. Even if he was nice, Kate knew the chances of anything lasting were slim. Daniel opened his mouth to say something, but the bell rang and students began lining up outside the door. So, he left the room sulking. Kate shook her head, hoping he would not bother her again. Then, she signaled the students to come in and started the lesson.

* * *

When lunch time came around, Kate immediately sought out Lanie. She spotted Lanie at the same table from the day before, and sat down next to her. Since Lanie's classroom was on a separate floor, Kate had little chance of seeing her, except during lunch or one of her few free periods.

"I spoke to Daniel today."

"Let me guess, he tried to hit on you?" Her co-worker inquired. When Lanie received an affirmative, she rolled her eyes. "That man never gives up. You think he would have learned his lesson by now. Luckily, if you give him a firm 'no', he usually backs down. It's rare he actually pursues any woman. He has the attention span of a goldfish when to comes to our kind." Both of them laughed, but then quieted down when they saw Daniel approaching.

"Hello ladies," he said, taking a seat next to Kate.

"Hello, Daniel. I hear that you've been bothering my friend here," Lanie told him, teasingly.

"I wasn't bothering her, I was just trying to get better acquainted. You know, since we're in the same department and we'll be seeing each other every day."

Kate held back a laugh as Lanie released an unladylike snort.

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I'm not interested," Kate said.

"Oh, come on, just give me a chance. I mean, you probably don't get that many offers."

Kate narrowed her eyes and scowled. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Daniel's eyes widened as he realized his slip. "Nothing, I mean, uh, it's just that with your face-" he stumbled over his words, trying to redeem himself. Meanwhile, Kate's posture stiffened, and she kept her eyes narrowed.

Lanie spoke suddenly, lowly. Her tone was full of ire."I suggest you get the hell out of here now, before I lose my patience and kick your ass, regardless of what position you're in." Following her advice, Daniel scurried out of the room. Turning her attention towards Kate, she looked at her new friend in concern. "Kate?"

"I'm fine, Lanie," Kate said, smiling tightly. "I need to get to class." Before Lanie could respond, Kate stood up and calmly, but quickly, walked out of the room. Kate stopped by the staircase, and quickly composed herself. She knew there was no point in getting upset.

_Shouldn't I be used to it by now_? She thought to herself, bitterly.

Kate then sighed and headed up the stairs to teach her next class.

* * *

AN: I'm not too sure about this chapter. I just get a feeling that I have Kate acting a little OOC. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.


	4. Chapter 3

AN: Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed this story. It means a lot to me, it , constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 3

The rest of the week passed without incident. When Saturday came, Kate decided to stop by the coffee shop. When she arrived, she noticed that the woman from earlier that week was standing at the cashier. Having already decided her own order, Kate approached Martha.

"Hello, Martha," Kate said.

"Oh, hello Kate dear, how are you?" Martha asked, picking up her purchase.

"I'm fine. How about you?" Kate replied, after telling the cashier what she wanted.

"Peachy. Do you have anywhere to go?"

"I was planning on running some errands, but I don't really have to go anywhere. Why?"

"Well, I was hoping that we could chat for a bit, get to know each other."

"Okay," Kate said, leading them over to a nearby table. "So, how is your granddaughter?" She asked, sitting down.

"She's doing much better, thank you. She's thrilled to be going back to school, much to her father's disappointment."

Kate laughed, saying "It sounds like your son is an interesting person."

"Yes, we joke about whether or not Alexis is his. They're so different, but he is a good father," Martha responded, a wistful smile on her face.

"So, is it just the three of you?"

"Yes, Alexis' mother is not picture," Martha said, her tone indicating a close on the subject. "So, on a happier subject, what do you do for a living? What motivates you in life?" Martha asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I'm an English teacher at Marlowe Prep. I just started there this week, actually."

"Oh, Alexis attends school there. Maybe you'll have her in one of your classes."

"Maybe, I'll be on the lookout. So far, I'm enjoying it and the curriculum is pretty good."

"Hopefully, since I hear my son groan every time the tuition bill arrives in the mail."

Kate laughed. "Don't worry, the money appears to be put into good use. So, anyway, what do you do?"

"Technically, I'm retired. However, I run an acting school a few blocks away."

"That's interesting, are you an actress yourself?"

"I used to be, but now I enlighten future actors with my skills. It's actually quite fun, once you find the talent of course. Unfortunately, my son refused to follow in my footsteps," Martha said, finishing with a dramatic sigh.

"What does he do?"

"He writes murder mystery novels for a living."

"He does?" Kate asked, her interest peaked.

Martha nodded. "Yes, he's written a few, actually. Once he gets an idea into his head, he holes himself up in his office to write. He works it out on his makeshift murder board that he made."

"Must be pretty interesting to look at," Kate mused.

Martha made a bit of a face and Kate could not hold back a laugh. "I don't usually look at it, unless I wish to not have an appetite." Martha was about to say something, but was interrupted by her phone. "Hello?" There was a pause as Martha listened to the person on the other end. "No, Richard, I don't know where you put your laser tag gear." Another pause. "Leave the poor girl alone, she's trying to recover." Martha rolled her eyes and smiled. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you," Martha replied, hanging up.

"Was that your son?" Kate asked, amused by Martha's end of the conversation.

"Yes, and alas, I must go if I wish to have an apartment to live in. Here's my number, call me anytime." Martha handed Kate a piece of paper with her phone number on it. "Well then, ta-ta," Martha said, departing with a dramatic wave, causing Kate to chuckle.

_She certainly is_ _a character_, Kate thought.

After finishing her errands, which consisted of picking up some laundry and food shopping, Kate decided to go for a run around the block. Returning to her apartment, she grabbed her iPod, and then headed back out the door. As she ran, Kate felt herself relax. She enjoyed running in her spare time, it made her feel free. As she ran, Kate observed that the window shops were beginning to decorate for Valentine's Day, which was two weeks away. Stopping at a nearby window, Kate gazed inside. The window displayed various boxes of candy and stuffed animals holding hearts or roses. It had been a while since she had received a Valentine's Day gift, or any type of romantic gesture for that matter. The last time had been two years before with James, her old boyfriend. James had been one of her better boyfriends.

_At least he made an effort_, she thought.

Kate frowned, before shaking her head and running back to her apartment. When she returned to her apartment, she called her parents.

"Hey, Dad," she said when her father picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, Katie. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, enjoying the new job. How are you?"

"Great, I settled a case yesterday."

"That's good," Kate responded, settling herself into the couch. Since both her parents were lawyers, Kate had grown up with being constantly updated on cases. It had come to the point where she understood all the legal jargon and could give her opinion on a case. This had led to some interesting dinner time conversations/debates. Kate had decided to chose her love for literature over law, though. "How's Mom doing? I haven't talked to her since Thursday."

"She's fine, disobeying doctor's orders as usual," her father replied, sighing. Kate sighed and then laughed as she heard her mother protest in the background. "I think she wants to speak with you." Kate then heard rustling, and her father muttering something to Johanna.

"Oh, hush you," Johanna scolded her father. "So, how are you doing, Katie?"

"I'm fine. Oh, I ran into someone today."

"Who?"

"This woman at the coffee shop near me. I met her on Monday and  
ran into her again today. She wanted to sit down and chat, her name is Martha."

"What's she like?" Johanna inquired.

"She's nice, she runs an acting school. She certainly is a character, and from the sounds of it, so is her son."

"She has a son? How old is he?" Johanna prodded, clearly eager for more information.

Kate regretted letting the information slip. "Mom, please," she groaned.

"What? He could be nice, and you haven't tried to date in a while."

"You know why," Kate whispered.

"Katie, there is nothing wrong with you! You shouldn't let a scar get in the way of your happiness," Johanna said, exasperated.

"I'm not the one who lets it get in the way," Kate grumbled.

"I know, Katie, I know," Johanna replied, recalling how many times Kate had called her after a break up. Deciding to switch the topic, Johanna said excitedly "So, Richard Castle's new book is coming out next week!"

"I forgot about that! It's supposed to be one of his best."

"So, can you come with me to buy the book?"

"Unfortunately, no. I have to be in school," Kate grumbled, slightly disappointed that she would not be able to buy the book as soon as it came out.

"Well, I promise to keep you spoiler free."

"Thanks." Nothing annoyed Kate more than being told specific details of a book. It ruined the enjoyment and suspense of reading. Reading had always thrilled her, even as a child. Kate liked to get into the characters' heads and their worlds.

"Well, I need to finish cooking dinner, otherwise your father will turn into a bear." Kate snickered as a 'Will not' emanated from the background. "Goodbye, dear," Johanna said, then hung up.

Kate grinned, before glancing at her bookshelf. It was filled with books of various genres from romance to thriller. The most prominent books though, were her Richard Castle books. The books were arranged according to the year each was published. Kate was very eager to get her hands on the latest one and would make sure she had it by the end of the next week.

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AN: Sorry for the slow pace, I'm still establishing things. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.


	5. Chapter 4

An: I apologize for the choppy author's note last chapter. It happened when I was editing on the site. Anyway, I'm not too sure about this chapter, since I did get a little stuck. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle

* * *

Chapter 4

Kate arrived at school early the following Monday due to a last-minute faculty meeting. Along with her co-workers, Kate listened to Mr Keating drone on about rules, regulations, and upcoming events, the biggest event being the Valentine's Day dance that took place on Valentine's Day. Mr. Keating asked teachers to volunteer to chaperone the dance. Since it was required that each teacher chaperone one dance, and figuring that she would have nothing better to do that night, Kate raised her hand. After being dismissed, Kate headed to her room to make adjustments to the day's lessons.

When the sophomore class filed into the classroom third period, Kate noticed that the seat that had been empty the previous week was occupied by a red haired girl.

_That must be Alexis, _Kate thought.

As she taught, Kate would occasionally look at Alexis to see how the girl was doing. To Kate's surprise, Alexis did not seem lost or confused on the topic. Instead, she seemed to be concentrating intently on what the brunette was saying, taking notes at appropriate times. She even answered some questions, much to Kate's delight. When class ended, Alexis approached Kate's desk, a small pile of papers in her hands.

"Ms. Beckett?"

"Yes, Alexis, is there something I can do for you?" Kate asked.

"These are the assignments I missed last week. Is there anything else that I need to do?" Alexis inquired, handing Kate the papers.

Kate quickly flipped through the tiny stack of papers, and smiled. She was surprised and pleased that Alexis had made the effort to catch up in her work. Another student might have just blown it off.

"No, this looks like this is everything. If you have any questions though, don't hesitate to ask me."

Alexis grinned saying, "Great! You're definitely better than the last teacher we had, trust me." This caused Kate to blush a little.

"Thanks, Alexis. That's very kind of you."

"Well, I need to get to class," Alexis said, walking towards the door. She then stopped and said: "Oh, and Grams says 'Hello' and can't wait to meet you again."

Kate was confused for a second and then realized what Alexis was talking about. "Tell your grandmother I said the same." Alexis grinned, nodded, and then left the room.

Kate stared at the doorframe after the teenager left. So far, she had met two members of the Castle family. Both women seemed different from each other, but also a little similar.

I wonder what Alexis' father is like? Kate mused, remembering Martha's conversation on the phone. He certainly sounded quite interesting.

Kate was broken out of her thoughts by the bell ringing, signaling the beginning of the next period.

During her free period later that day, Kate met up with Lanie. Since one of her Biology classes had a double lab period, Lanie was not around for lunch. Kate had sat with Mrs. Derone, another English teacher who was about ten years older than Kate. She was polite and nice to converse with, but Kate preferred Lanie's exuberant demeanor. She and Lanie met in Lanie's classroom. Kate was perched on one of the lab tables, while Lanie sat hat her desk.

"Someone looks awfully cheerful today," Kate said, noticing the Cheshire grin on her friend's face.

"That's because yours truly has a date Wednesday."

"Who's the lucky guy?"

"A guy that lives in my apartment building. We meet each other every morning in the elevator."

"What's he like?" Kate asked, leaning forward in interest.

"His name is Javier. He's cute, a little rough around the edges, but can be charming when he wants to be."

"Who asked who?"

"He did actually. About time too, I was ready to ask myself, given the fact there is something there. He tried to put on some bravado, but I could tell he was a little nervous."

"What did you say?"

"Well, I made him sweat for a bit. I pretended to think about it, but then saw how nervous he actually was and said yes."

"Good for you," Kate said, genuinely happy for her friend. She was glad that at least someone was getting some romance.

"What about you? Have any offers from guys who aren't arrogant assholes?" Lanie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, not lately. It doesn't seem to be in the cards dealt to me," responded Kate, shrugging.

"I'm sure you'll find someone who will romance you and sweep you off your feet."

"What a fairy tale that would be," said Kate, chuckling bitterly. "I didn't peg you as the romantic type."

Lanie shrugged, unapologetic. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for happy endings. I'm positive you will find yours, just have a little faith."

"Thanks, just wish it was that simple."

Lanie frowned, seeing that Kate would not budge on her opinion. "Well, anyway, I was hoping that you would help me. I figured it was time we spent some time together outside of work."

Kate raised an eyebrow. Even though she was a female, she had never been good at 'girl bonding time'. Talking about boys and doing makeovers had never appealed to her. She preferred to have her head in a book, academic or otherwise. However, she figured she might as well give it a chance.

"Sure, what time?"

"Right after school. My apartment is across town. He's supposed to pick me up at seven."

"Okay, then it's set."

"Just bring yourself. I have the makeup and the booze. Here, let me give you my address."

Kate grinned as Lanie wrote down the address, her excitement over the prospective night increasing with each pen stroke.

* * *

AN: Castle is coming soon, I promise. Constructive criticism is welcome.


	6. Chapter 5

AN: Okay guys, I'm heading home today to no power apparently. I'm not sure when it will be back on, hopefully by Wednesday. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 5

"Pick your poison. I've got everything from whiskey to wine," Lanie said, opening her cabinet stashed with alcohol.

It was Wednesday night, and Kate found herself thrilled to be going out, even if it was for only a few hours. She had driven to Lanie's apartment right after school as Lanie had directed. When she arrived, a curly- haired and robed Lanie greeted her at the door. Lanie had dragged her inside and led her to the cabinet.

"Got any red wine?" Kate did not mind having a drink, but she still needed to drive home.

"Sure do," Lanie said, reaching into the cabinet and pulling out a bottle. "It's nothing fancy, but it still tastes good," Lanie said, pouring a glass and handing it to Kate.

"Don't worry, my palette is not that sophisticated. So, where is your makeup?"

"It's in my room, come on."

Kate followed Lanie into the bedroom. When she entered the doorway, Kate stopped to observe the detail of the room. Lanie's room was a good size bedroom, but not overly spacious. It was painted a light blue with white curtains hanging on the windows. The bedspread was black, with a white floral design scattered around. The bed only two throw pillows on it, with designs that matched the bedspread. There was also a night table, and three dressers made of what Kate assumed was mahogany. Lanie opened one of the dresser drawers and pulled out a large makeup case.

"That looks like enough makeup to serve an army. Do you use all that?" Kate asked, as Lanie opened the case.

"Some of it, I just use the basic stuff during school hours. Also, not all of it is my shade."

Kate did not use enough makeup to warrant owning a huge case. She preferred to use some lipgloss and eyeshadow. The most makeup she used was on the right side of her face. Kate took a sip of her wine before rummaging through the case.

"What about this?" Kate asked, holding up a tube of lipstick.

"Oh, that's actually my favorite shade," Lanie said, taking the tube.

Kate continued to go through the case, pulling out various shades of eyeshadow and blush.

"You want eyeliner?"

"Nah, not tonight," Lanie responded, applying blush.

"Here, let me help you with the eyeshadow," Kate said, picking up the shade that her friend had chosen. As Kate applied the eyeshadow, she could not help but smile.

"What are you smiling about?" Lanie asked.

"Nothing it's just that, this is kind of fun. I've never done this before."

"You've never helped a friend prepare for a date before?" Lanie asked, her tone disbelieving.

Kate shrugged saying, "It never appealed to me. I always found it kind of mindless, but I think I might change my mind after tonight."

"You better, because I plan on helping you on your next date," Lanie replied, walking towards her closet. As Lanie shifted through her closet, Kate took a sip of her wine.

"I don't think that will be any time soon, but here's to hoping," Kate responded, lifting her glass in a mock toast.

Lanie rolled her eyes at her friend's sarcasm. "So, what do you think about this top?" Lanie held up a plain blue blouse with a v-neck.

"I like it, it's good for a first date."

Lanie nodded, before going further into the closet. "Where are those black slacks?" Lanie muttered to herself. "Here they are!" She exclaimed, holding them up. "Heels or flats?" She asked.

"Definitely heels," responded Kate with a grin.

After Lanie changed into her outfit, she posed for Kate.

"You look great!" Kate exclaimed.

"Thanks, you want another glass of wine?" Lanie asked, noticing Kate's empty glass.

"No thanks, I need to drive home."

Lanie glanced at the clock on her nightstand. "He'll be here in a half an hour," she said.

"I better go then, I have some papers to grade anyway," Kate said, giving Lanie a hug. "Good luck!"

"Thanks, see you tomorrow," Lanie responded as Kate left.

Kate arrived back at her apartment twenty minutes later. She usually liked the quiet that accompanied her in the apartment, but on some nights, like this night, it just made her feel lonely. Kate enjoyed her independence immensely and would never want it taken it away from her. Sometimes though, she wished the papers she had to grade were scattered on the ground due to a male distraction, instead of in a neat pile on her coffee table.

_Oh, well, essays on Wordsworth will be my company tonight_, Kate thought as she took her red pen to the first essay in a large stack of papers.

* * *

Thursday was uneventful, with the exception of Lanie telling Kate how her date had gone. Lanie did not need to say much though, since her cheerful demeanor during lunch told Kate everything she needed to know. Apparently, Lanie had another date with Javier within two weeks. Lanie was pushing for Valentine's Day, but did not want to overwhelm the man. When Friday came, Kate was excited. She planned on buying the new Richard Castle book so she could have the whole weekend to read it. True to her word, her mother had not said anything about the book, except for the fact that Kate should buy it as soon as she could. Her mother's statement had only solidified her plan to buy the book. Kate could not contain her excitement on Friday, and she was pretty sure that her students noticed, since they seemed more at ease with her than usual.

As the school day came to a close, Kate began to pack up her things, since she did not have any classes last period. She took one last glance through her e-mails to make sure there were no last minute meetings or announcements. Once she was sure she was in the clear, and the bell rang, Kate left the classroom. On her way out the door, she spotted a certain red head opening the door.

"Here you go, Ms. Beckett." Alexis said, holding the door open when she saw Kate approaching.

"Thank you, Alexis. Are you heading home?"

"Actually, I'm supposed to meet my dad at the Barnes N' Noble near here."

"Oh? I'm actually going that way too. Do you mind if I walk with you?" Kate, making sure the teenager understood that she could say no.

"Sure," Alexis said, smiling. Alexis actually did not mind having someone accompanying her.

"So, how are you feeling?" Kate asked.

"Much better, thank you. I still feel a little weird, though."

"I'm sure it will wear off in time," Kate said.

Alexis nodded in agreement. "My dad was convinced that I needed a game of laser tag to 'improve my condition', " Alexis said, putting air quotes around the last three words.

"Laser tag?" Kate asked, laughing.

"Yeah, it's our special way of bonding. We've done it since I was able to hold a laser gun."

"It sounds like fun."

"It is, although it's not without its casualties."

Kate raised an eyebrow, waiting for Alexis to explain.

"Dad broke a lamp last time. Another time, I broke a vase, but Dad is the one who usually breaks things."

Kate chuckled saying, "It sounds like your Dad is very interesting. Your grandmother told me he writes mystery novels. Would I know any of them?" By this point, they had reached the store and were entering the doorway.

"Um, maybe. It depends on your taste in novels." Alexis said absentmindedly, obviously searching for her father.

"Hey, pumpkin," a male voice nearby said.

"Hey, Dad," Alexis said, grinning. She then went to hug her father.

Kate's jaw nearly dropped when she looked at the man. Despite the sunglasses and baseball hat, Kate could tell who the man was immediately.

"Who is this lovely woman?" Castle asked in a smooth voice.

"Dad, this is Ms. Beckett, my English teacher. Ms. Beckett, this is my dad, Richard Castle."

* * *

AN: I told you soon, didn't I? Anyway, not the most creative way, but I find it fitting. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	7. Chapter 6

AN: I still don't have power at home, that I know of, as I sit here writing. Anyway, here's the next chapter and constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 6

Kate stared at the man for a few seconds, wanting to slap herself. How could she have not put two and two together? After all, Castle was not exactly a common last name, at least that Kate knew of. After making sure her jaw was off the floor, Kate held out her hand for Rick to shake.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Castle. I've heard some things about you from Alexis."

Rick quickly shook Kate's hand, giving her a charming smile. "Only good things, I hope. Also, please, call me Rick."

Kate chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, nothing too incriminating. I just know that I shouldn't go near you when you're playing laser tag."

"Ah, yes, those games can get quite dangerous," Rick joked. "I've also heard some things about you too, assuming you're the same woman my mother has met."

"Yes, that would be me, Kate Beckett."

"Then, I've heard nothing but good things also," Rick said, giving her a small smile.

"That's good, I wouldn't want you questioning my teaching skills."

"From what Alexis has told me, I doubt I need to. You're also an English teacher, which is bonus points in my book."

"I'm sure with your profession it would be," Kate responded.

"So, you've read my books?" Castle inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I've heard of them," Kate said simply, not wanting to give away what a junkie she was when it came to his books.

Rick grinned. "You really should read them, they're pretty good if I do say so myself." Kate laughed, shaking her head. "What? A little self promotion never hurt anyone!"

"Indeed," Kate responded.

"Don't stroke his ego, he doesn't need it," Alexis said wryly.

"I'll keep that in mind," responded a grinning Kate. "Well, I'll be going. See you Monday, Alexis. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Castle."

"The pleasure was all mine, Kate," Rick responded, flashing her another charming smile.

_I will not act like a little school girl, I will not,_ Kate thought to herself, trying to ignore the author's charm.

"See you Monday, Ms. Beckett," Alexis said, as Kate walked away. Kate gave a little wave before heading further into the store.

* * *

Kate had decided to take another route to buy the author's book, not wanting him to see her. So, after she headed away from them, she entered the nearest aisle she could find. Deciding to wait a few minutes, Kate began to browse the books. However, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment when she realized that she had entered the erotica section. Kate was no prude, but she did not buy straight erotica. She preferred substance in the books she perused.

"If you're looking for something new, try this one. It's a fiery one," an elderly woman who had been standing next to her said. The woman held up a book with a virtually naked couple on it.

"Um, no thank you. I'm in the wrong aisle," Kate said, quickly leaving the aisle, trying to maintain an ounce of dignity.

Kate immediately went to the mystery section of the store. The book was not hard to find, since it was on a display near the first aisle of mysteries. Grinning, she picked up the book, and flipped it open to the information flap.

"I've heard that my books satisfy, but if you want something a little heavier, you might want to go to the aisle you were just in."

Kate almost jumped when she heard Rick's voice.

"So, heard of my books, huh?" Rick teased.

Kate huffed. "I was just...looking at it. You know, see what it's about." Taking off his sunglasses, Rick gave her a knowing look. "Okay, fine, you caught me. Yes, I read your books."

"Well, at least you have good taste. I was starting to question your mental capacity when you headed into the other aisle," he teased.

Kate raised an eyebrow. "You'll be happy to know that my mental capacity is just fine. I did go to Stanford."

"Impressive. So, what made you become a teacher, and not something higher up on the career chain?"

Kate shrugged. "I just really enjoy literature, and kids. I mean, I did originally go for law, but found my real passion in literature."

"You didn't want to become a college professor?" Rick asked, leaning against a shelf.

"No, I probably wouldn't do well with the politics of it."

"I have a feeling you would do fine."

"What makes you say that?"

Rick shrugged. "I'm a people person," he said, looking intently at her.

Kate felt slightly uncomfortable under his gaze. "So, I better go pay for this pay and be on my way." Kate began to walk away, but stopped when she felt him right behind her. She turned around, and faced him, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

Rick shrugged. "Nothing, it's just that you don't need all that makeup on your face." Kate frowned, not liking where the conversation was headed.

_That's what you think_, Kate thought.

"I like wearing makeup, most girls do."

"No, you're hiding something."

"Well, maybe I am. We all have our little blemishes that we don't want people to see."

Rick shook his head. "No, what you're hiding is not some little blemish."

"What makes you say that?" Kate asked, her hands on her hips.

"If it was a little mark or scar, you probably wouldn't bother covering it up; you're not that type of person. Also, you wouldn't get so defensive about it."

Kate tried not to gape at him, since he had pretty much hit the nail on the head.

"I need to go," she said, moving passed him, trying not to show how shocked she was.

As she walked toward the cashier, Kate almost considered putting the book back, but decided against it. Just because she was annoyed with the man, did not mean she still could not enjoy the book. As she paid for her item, she looked behind her to make sure that he had not followed her. Relieved that he had not, Kate left the store and walked back to her apartment. Once she returned to her apartment Kate opened her liquor cabinet, and pulled out a bottle of her favorite wine. After pouring a glass for herself, Kate grabbed the book from the coffee table and settled herself down onto the couch. Smiling in anticipation, Kate opened the book and began the first chapter.

AN: I tried to throw some humor in there, but I'm not very good at it. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.


	8. Chapter 7

AN: So, I'm at my aunt's, so obviously I have power. Thanks to theputz for giving me the idea for the first part of this chapter. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 7

The following Monday, Kate walked to the coffee shop as usual. When she arrived, Kate got in line, ready to order. After a few moments of waiting, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see familiar cerulean eyes.

"Uh, hello," Rick said nervously.

"Yes?" Kate inquired. She was still a little annoyed at him for the previous Friday, but the feeling was starting to dissipate.

"I just wanted to apologize for last Friday."

Kate looked at him with a critical eye. "Who sent you, Martha or Alexis?"

Rick hesitated for a moment, before looking embarrassed. "Alexis," he mumbled.

"Figures," Kate huffed, before turning around to face the front of the line.

"Hey," he said, placing a hand on Kate's shoulder, turning her around. "I really am sorry for what I said. I don't have much of a filter when it comes to my curiosity," he said, looking genuinely sorry. Kate frowned, and then scowled, unable to ignore the sincerity in his voice.

"Fine, I forgive you, just don't ask again, okay?" She said softly.

"Got it," Rick said. "So, can we start over? Hi, I'm Richard Castle, Alexis's father." He held out his hand for Kate to shake.

Kate laughed, shaking his hand. "I'm Kate Beckett, Alexis' English teacher."

"Since that's settled, you want to sit down and talk for a bit?"

Kate shook her head. "I can't, I have to be at work in a bit."

"Ah, yes, educating the young minds of Marlowe Prep."

"Maybe some other time, though, if that's okay?"

"It's a date," Rick said, and then his eyes widened when he realized what he had said. "I mean-"

"Don't worry, I know what you meant," Kate said, waving her hand dismissively.

"So, busy week this week?" Rick asked. They had finally reached the cashier and Kate had ordered.

"Sort of, I have to chaperone the dance at the end of the week."

"What a surprise, so do I," Rick said, grinning.

Kate looked at him, confused. "I thought parents didn't usually chaperone the dances?"

"The key word being usually. A few parents, such as myself, do. I do it to be involved in the school."

"That's nice. What does Alexis think?" Kate asked, a teasing smile on her face.

Rick shrugged. "She's okay with it. Although, I have been forbidden to chaperone prom."

Kate chuckled. "I think most kids would tell their parents that."

"Alexis is good, responsible kid though. I don't expect her to do anything dangerous."

Kate nodded. "She seems like a good kid, for what I've seen in class."

"Thanks, I don't know where she gets it from. Her mother and I aren't exactly the best role models."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. You seem to be a pretty good guy, despite your lack of filter."

Rick grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Thanks."

"Well, I best be off, have a good day," Kate said, glancing at her watch.

"You too," Rick called out as Kate left the shop and headed down the block.

* * *

"So, what happened this morning?"

It was lunchtime, and Kate had just finished telling Lanie about her weekend. Lanie was particularly interested in the Friday ordeal. Which was what led Lanie to ask the current question.

"He apologized to me in the coffee shop. He told me that Alexis had sent him, but that he was genuinely sorry," Kate said.

Lanie pursued her lips. "I've met him a few times, Alexis is in my honors Biology class. He's a nice guy, I think if he did apologize, he would mean it."

Kate nodded. "Yeah, I think so too."

Suddenly, Lanie's face lit up. "So, what happened afterward?"

Kate shrugged. "He just wanted to sit down and talk, but I told him I had to go to work. What?" Kate asked, seeing the huge grin on her friend's face.

"I think he might like you," Lanie said simply.

"What? No, he just wanted to talk and get better acquainted,that's all."

"Sit down and talk, with coffee? Sounds like a date to me."

"Trust me, that was not the intention. That reminds me, he told me he is chaperoning the dance Friday."

"He is?"

Kate nodded. "Yeah, he's apparently one of the few parents that does it."

"Hmm," Lanie said, eyeing Kate up and down. Kate looked at her friend, confused.

"What?"

"You would look nice with your hair curled," Lanie stated as a matter of fact.

"Okay?" Kate said, not understanding where Lanie was going.

"Maybe a lite shade of red lipstick would work too," Lanie mused, squinting at her friend's face, seeming to be examining it.

"What are you talking about?"

"What you're going to wear to the dance, of course!"

"Why does it matter what I wear?"

"You did say there would be a particularly handsome author there, did you not?"

"Yes, but we're supposed to be _chaperoning_," Kate said, putting an emphasis on chaperoning.

"Doesn't mean you still can't try to look good," Lanie said with a raised eyebrow.

"What makes you think he would even be interested in me? We travel in different social circles," Kate said.

Lanie shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to try and find out. Come on, it'll be fun. I'll come over to your place and we'll do what we did last time."

Kate sighed. She could not say no to look of absolute glee and anticipation on her co-worker's face. "Okay, but I'm not promising anything will happen."

"Perfect!" Lanie exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "I'll meet you right after school, that should give us a few hours."

Kate chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm. "Well, I need to get to class. See you later," she said. Kate left the room and headed up the stairs.

Teaching the AP class was a joy for Kate. Instead of just lecturing the students, the students thoroughly participated each day and made the class more enjoyable all around. Kate liked to hear the students' opinions and analyzations of the work they were currently doing, which was _Antigone_. The class was given to seniors only, so unfortunately, Kate did have some seniors with senioritis, but they still did the work.  
As Kate was wrapping up the class by telling the students to do a packet of questions on the next act, she spotted Daniel in the doorway.

"That finishes class for today, you can start on the packets now," Kate instructed, before going to meet the department head. "Did you need me, Daniel?"

"Yes, there is a department meeting after school in the main English office right after school," he said. "Don't worry, it won't take long."

Kate nodded. "Okay, I'll be there in a bit."

For the remaining few minutes of the class, Kate began grading some tests that she had distributed earlier that day. Once the bell rang, Kate headed to the English department's room. The room was small, and could just about fit the whole department in it. There was a brown table surrounded by matching chairs. The walls were painted a painfully bright yellow. A singular desk with a computer and printer on top of it, was up against the left side of the room. After a few minutes she frowned when she realized that she was the only one there. She was about to leave, when the door opened to reveal Daniel.

"Where is everyone else?" She asked.

"They'll be here in a few minutes," Daniel replied, standing behind the chair Kate was sitting in. Kate frowned, detecting a change in the atmosphere.

"So, got any plans Friday night?" Daniel asked offhandedly.

"I'm chaperoning the dance, remember?" Kate replied politely, facing him.

"Oh, right. So, no special guy?"

Kate frowned. "Weren't you one who said that I probably don't get many offers?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, really. I am such an ass sometimes," he said. Kate assessed him quickly. She could tell that unlike Rick earlier that morning, Daniel was not sincere in his apology.

"Right," Kate said. "Well, it doesn't look like anyone else is here, maybe I should go," she said, going to stand up. However, Daniel put his hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her back down. His hand lingered on her shoulder longer than necessary, and Kate could swear that he gently brushed her neck with his thumb as he took it off his hand. Kate scowled, before abruptly standing up."Look, whatever the hell you're thinking, you can forget it."

"Relax, Kate. No one needs to find out," he said, placing a his hand on her hip and gently pushing her against the table. "Ease up a little." His face had gotten closer, and Kate could tell he was going to try to kiss her neck. She quickly pushed him away with as much force as she could, practically slamming him against the wall.

"Let's get one thing straight," she hissed. "The relationship between you and me is purely professional. Try something like this again, and I will report you to the principal, and I will make sure that you lose your job. Goodbye," she said, before walking out the door and slamming loudly behind her.

* * *

AN: I really need to stop making one of the antagonists a pig of a male. Also, sorry for the large amount of dialogue I wrote here. I'm trying to cut down on it a little. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.


	9. Chapter 8

AN: Good news, I might have power when I get home! Finally! Anyway here is the next chapter and constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 8

Friday could not come fast enough for Kate. The days before the dance were filled with students talking about said dance. Most of the girls chattered about which boy they wanted to go with, and what they planned to wear to impress the boy. Other girls voiced their decision to be the one to ask, while others just gave up and were going with friends. The boys apparently were just hoping to get lucky. However, there were a few boys that really did want to go with a girl. All of these conversations went on as if the teachers did not exist, which amused Kate to no end. She had a feeling that some parents would be shocked by how their child talked around their peers.

As a form of celebration of the day, some teachers did work related to Valentine's Day. Lanie was covering the cardiac unit in her Biology class, while Kate had each of her classes analyze famous love poems and she also gave out small chocolate hearts. As the day came to a close, the students were in high spirits at the impending evening. The exuberant atmosphere was so infectious that even Kate felt a little excited.

"See you all at the dance tonight!" Kate exclaimed, as the students filed out of the classroom at the end of the day. Once the final bell rang, Kate walked back to her apartment quickly, expecting Lanie within the hour. As Lanie had instructed earlier, Kate only took a shower, since Lanie wanted to do Kate's hair. So, clad in only a towel, Kate opened the door to greet Lanie. As Lanie came inside, Kate could see that her friend had dragged her large makeup case with her.

"Let's get started!" Lanie exclaimed, as Kate handed her a glass of wine. Since Kate did not have the alcohol selection that Lanie did, she chose the drinks for them. Kate led her to her bedroom, where Lanie began to set up.

"Sit," Lanie ordered, armed with a hairbrush and curling iron. Kate obeyed and sat down on the bed. After feeling some tugging and pulling, Lanie finally stopped. Kate went to look in the mirror, but was stopped. "You can't see anything until I'm completely done working my magic," she stated, turning Kate away from the mirror and applying hairspray to the curls.

"I don't see what the big deal is," Kate grumbled.

"Trust me, when I'm done with you, everyone will be turning theirs heads. Now, sit still."

"So bossy," Kate said, cringing a little when felt a light poke from the hairbrush. Lanie then reached into her makeup bag, pulling out various makeup containers.

"Close your eyes," she said, before applying eyeshadow. She then took out an eyelash curler and curled Kate's eyelashes. "So, have any contact with Mr. Castle since Monday?"

"No, I haven't seen him around," Kate stated, as Lanie applied blush to her cheeks.

"That's a shame, you two could've connected more. Oh well, there will be enough time for that tonight."

"I still need to keep my eye on the kids," Kate reminded her friend.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. Now, put your lips like this," Lanie instructed, before applying lipstick.

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure, now what do you have in terms of clothing?" Lanie asked, shifting through Kate's drawers. "Valentina's Day colors, obviously."

"Fine with me," Kate stated, watching her friend pull out various tops.

"Ah, here we go!" Lanie exclaimed, pulling out a plain red sweater. "Got any white slacks?"

"Bottom drawer to the right," Kate stated, pointing out the location. Lanie pulled out the white pants and laid them next to the sweater on the bed.

"Now, shoes," Lanie said, going into the closet. A few moments later, Lanie appeared with red closed toes heels. "These will look nice with the rest of your outfit. Now, get dressed," she said, tossing the shoes at Kate. After Kate quickly got dressed, Lanie turned her towards the mirror. "Voila!"

"Wow," Kate breathed. She knew she was attractive, but Lanie's efforts made her look ten times better.

Lanie smiled and looked her friend in the eyes through the mirror. "Mr. Castle will not be able to keep his eyes off you."

Kate laughed, and looked in the mirror again, positive that her friend was right.

* * *

Richard Castle stood in the doorway to the school gym, which had been transformed in just a few hours. The usually bare gym was decorated with pink and red paper hearts on the streamers lined the ceiling and went around the room. A banner that said 'Happy Valentine's Day' in red lettering hung on the folded up bleachers. Against the wall, three tables that were covered in red and white tablecloths had been placed. Various snacks and beverages had been placed on top of two of the tables, along with sparkling red and silver confetti. The third table contained small raffle prizes that students could buy tickets for. A DJ was set up in the back of the gym, the same one the school always used. Rick did not mind the music, for a few hours at least. Since he had to chaperone, Alexis was one of the first students there. Paige was also there, since they had driven her.

His eyes scanned the room, looking for a certain brunette. He tried to convince himself that it was so he could find someone to talk to. It was not like she was the reason why he had dressed up a little more and put on some cologne. Really, she wasn't. Even though Alexis had sent him to the coffee shop on Monday, he was sorry for what he had said to Kate. He had not meant to offend her, he just wanted to tell her what he thought. However, his lack of filter had gotten him in trouble with the teacher. It had taken some self-control for him not to follow her out the door on Friday.

When his eyes did a second scan of the room, they stopped on the other doorway. There she was, walking in with the students. He looked at her closely, and could not stop the smile on his face. Her brunette hair was curled, and went down to her shoulders, framing her face nicely. The lipstick she wore accented her already plump lips. The red sweater was form fitting, and accentuated her chest area. The white slacks, along with the heels, made her legs look long. As he was ogling, he realized that she was walking toward him, a slight smile on her face.

"Hey," she said, once she was next to him.

"Hey," he replied, his smile growing bigger.

"So, I am in for a tough night?" She asked, eyeing the horde of students that had entered the gym.

"Yeah, the students here are real party animals," he joked. He saw her roll her eyes and shake her head. "No, not really. There are a few trouble makers, though."

"Can you tell me who they are?"

"Sure," he replied, and then proceeded to point out several students, most of them jocks.

Kate snorted. "Why I am not surprised?"

"I remember what I was like at their age. That's why I tell Alexis to stay away from them."

"Bad influence, huh?"

"The worst, my mother had her hands full with me."

"You seem okay now," Kate said, eyeing him.

"Oh, don't let the charm fool you, I can be quite the troublemaker, just ask my agent," Rick responded, winking at her.

"I just might, don't need a bad influence around these teenagers," she teased, her smile showing off her white teeth. After that, they stood in companionable silence for a bit, occasionally telling some of the students to stop messing around. As they stood there, Rick felt a buzz throughout his body. It was strange feeling, but not unpleasant. He had a feeling it had to do something with the woman standing next to him, since each time she moved away from him, the buzz weakened.

"Want something to drink?" He asked, needing to move around.

"Uh, sure," she responded, seeming to have been thinking. "I'll have a coke." Rick nodded, before heading toward the table. As he poured the drinks, he observed the students on the dance floor. Some students had created a mosh pit in the middle of the floor, which was very hard to get through, as Rick had the misfortune of discovering earlier. He spotted Alexis nearby, dancing with her friends. He was glad that she liked the school and had made friends. He knew that Alexis was a little more mature than kids her age, and he had always worried that she would have a tough timing finding a companion. His fears had been alleviated, though, since Alexis was fairly social. Rick returned to Kate and handed her the drink.

"Thanks," she said, before taking a sip. "Mmm." Rick looked at her, enjoying the pleased expression on her face. For some reason, he was thrilled that he was the one who put it there. He took a sip of his own drink and continued to watch the children. Suddenly, the DJ decided to make an announcement.

"All right boys and girls, we're going to slow things up a bit. So, grab that crush or object of affection of yours and get close."

"They allow that?" Kate asked in a whisper, her eyebrows raised.

"Don't worry, the kids behave themselves, usually," Rick replied, giving her a wide grin. He looked at her for a second, contemplating his next action, and then decided to take a chance. "Would you like to dance?"

She looked at him, surprised. "What?"

"I asked if you wanted to dance. This is usually the part where you answer yes or no, but I would prefer a yes."

Kate bit her lip, obviously contemplating on what to answer. Finally, after a few minutes, she looked at him. "Okay," she said simply, placing her hand in his. "Come on," she said, leading him into the hallway.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't want anyone to see us, sorry," she whispered, closing the door. At that point, Rick did not care as he took her hand in his and put his hand on the small of her back. The music could still be heard, blaring loudly from the speakers inside the gym. They danced slowly, spinning in small circles down the hallway. "You're very light on your feet there, Mr. Castle," Kate teased.

"That would be the unfortunate result of my mother forcing me to take dancing lessons as a kid."

"I don't see it as unfortunate. Wait, your mother made you?"

"She didn't have a partner, and seeing how I was the only man in her life..."

"She forced you into dancing. So, what other 'tortures' were you subjected to?" Kate teased.

"Well, I can paint a little, oh, and I make a mean apple pie. Apparently cooking was the only skill that my mother never mastered." Kate stared at him, amused. "Trust me, if you ever come over, never do it when she's cooking. Thankfully, it's an extremely rare event." At that comment, Kate's eyes widened, and Rick wanted to kick himself. What was he doing, talking about her coming over to the loft? However, Kate just grinned.

"I'll keep that in mind," she joked. Rick beamed, and found himself pulling her closer to him. That one movement caused the atmosphere to change instantly. Their bodies were firm against one another, and Rick could feel her chest move against his. He looked at her, hazel locking with cerulean. Her breath softly fanned his face, warm and sweet, their noses almost touching. "Rick," she murmured, her voice breathy. His eyes flickered down to her lips

"Kate," he murmured, trying to avoid temptation. However, he decided to throw caution to the wind, and began to lean down when-

_Squeak!_

The loud squeal of the microphone from the gym interrupted their moment. One of the teachers could be heard calling out the first basket being raffled off. Rick saw Kate's eyes widen, and she began to step away for him.

"Kate," he started, but she interrupted him.

"I need to go continue chaperoning," she mumbled lamely, trying to get away. Rick gently grabbed her arm, trying to pull her back to him.

"Please, Kate," he begged. She gently shook him off, and began to back away.

"I have to go, I'm sorry," she murmured, before opening the door and walking back into the gym. Rick was then left standing in hallway alone, wondering what had just happened.

* * *

AN: So, too fast? Don't worry, it won't be that fast in future chapters. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.


	10. Chapter 9

AN: I can't believe I have over one hundred followers for this story! Thank you for that. Sorry for the wait, school has started again. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome!

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 9

"So, how was Friday?" Johanna asked.

It was Sunday night, and Kate had called her mother to say hello and catch up on each others weekend. Kate had not told her mother about her run-in with Rick the week before.

"It was...interesting," Kate responded, biting her lip as she recalled the almost kiss that had occurred.

"Oh, how so?" Johanna asked, her interest clearly peaked.

"I may have danced with someone."

"Really? Who, another teacher?"

"No, the father of one of my students."

"What's his name? Is he nice? Is he cute?" Johanna asked, going into courtroom mode. Kate laughed at her mother's eagerness

"Yes, he's nice and quite handsome, but that's not the important part."

"What is it?"

"His name is Richard Castle," Kate stated, waiting for her mother's reaction. There was silence on the other end. "You still there?"

"Yes, I'm here. Sorry, I was just a surprised, that's all."

"I was too. It turns out that his daughter, Alexis, is in one of my classes."

"What a coincidence. So, you danced with him, huh?" Johanna teased.

"Yes, we did. He is actually a pretty good dancer."

"So, anything else happen?"

"We may have almost kissed," Kate said hesitantly.

"Almost kissed?" Johanna said incredulously.

"He was about to kiss me, but then we were surprised by the sound of the microphone."

"Well, did either of you try again?" Johanna asked impatiently.

"No, I chickened out and went back into the gym," Kate said, recalling the way she spent the rest of the night avoiding the author.

"Katie," her mother scolded.

"I know, I know. It's just that I start thinking about how it won't work out and what will happen once I let him see all of me. I've experienced the ugly truth too many times to risk getting hurt again."

"He could be different, Katie."

"You thought James was different," Kate pointed out dryly. She heard her mother sigh on the other end of the phone.

"Yes, I thought he was and so did you."

Kate frowned. "Yeah, I did. Unfortunately, we were wrong. I wouldn't mind being friends with Rick, though." Yes, she could be friends with Rick. Friendship was safe, comfortable territory; she could deal with friendship. "So, how did your case go?" Kate asked, wanting to change the topic.

"Not very well, I'm afraid. The defense is not cooperating, as per usual. Also, I have a feeling that my client has a few skeletons rattling in his own closet," Johanna sighed.

"Well, have you asked him about it and dug into his financials?"

"I plan on doing that first thing tomorrow. Sometimes I wonder why you didn't become a lawyer."

"Mom," Kate groaned. It was a rare occurrence, but sometimes Johanna would question Kate's career choice.

"I'm sorry, dear. I know you like what you do, and you're great at it. However, you could have been a pretty damn good lawyer, I think."

Kate smiled, thrilled that her mother had such confidence in her. "Thanks, but I'll stick to teaching. I prefer to read about criminals receiving the justice they deserve."

"Yes, speaking of, what did you think of Mr. Castle's new book?"

"I thought it was pretty good, except for one part," Kate responded, thinking about the small flaw she had found.

"Which part?" Johanna asked, curious. Kate then went on to explain the small issue she found in one chapter. The rest of the conversation was filled with discussion of the book, with the occasional swooning about the more sensual parts. Kate liked the fact that a simple thing like a book made her and her mother bond. That was another reason why she liked literature. It gave people the ability to find common ground, even if there were many differences in opinion. Suddenly, Kate could hear soft knocking from her mother's end. "Oh, that must be your father. Talk to you during the week, dear."

"Bye, say hello to dad for me," Kate said, before hanging up. She looked at her coffee table, where Rick's book still sat. She picked it up, and turned it over to the back where his photo was. She looked at his eyes in the picture and recalled the way they had looked at her on Friday. The ocean color eyes had reflected what she could have sworn was admiration, and another feeling she could not place.

She started to remember the way his hand had felt in hers, and the way he had placed his hand on the small of her back. It had felt right, and she had enjoyed dancing with him. However, when he tried to kiss her, she had snapped back to reality. She had a feeling that they would not work. Kate did not want to risk her heart again, plus they traveled in different social circles. He lived in the world of cameras, autographs, and for him, women. It would be expected that he date a model or some other celebrity who was attractive and lacking flaws, physically at least. Kate knew that she did not fit into the last category at all. She then frowned, and mentally scolded herself for being self-conscious. Kate knew she was attractive, but unfortunately, the scar detracted from that. Kate remembered the looks of pity and horror she had received from her classmates after the fire. It had taken a while to get used to, but she did. The makeup helped too.

Staring back down at the book, Kate looked at the author's smile, which was slightly mischievous. He had given her the same smile throughout the night, but it had seemed more light-hearted and genuine. She found herself wanting to be the reason for that smile. Kate then shook her head.

_Just friends_, she reminded herself. She then got up from the couch and prepared for bed.

The following morning, Kate got up for work. Doing her usual routine, she got dressed and headed into the bathroom to put makeup on. After putting on some lipgloss and eyeshadow, she reached for the jar of concealer. She frowned when she felt how light it was. Opening the container, she peered inside, only to find it empty. Kate immediately opened the medicine cabinet, searching for another jar. When she found none, she groaned.

_Crap_, today's going to be interesting, she thought.

* * *

Later that same day, Rick sat at his desk in his office, his laptop on his lap. He had been staring at the blank word document for almost an hour, the blinking cursor taunting him. Gina had been after him about sending her ideas for his next book. The only problem was that words would not come. He had been facing an irritating bout of writer's block the past few days. In an attempt to rid himself of it, Rick had tried his usual methods. He had tried everything from writing a different genre to eating half of a pint of ice cream. However, his methods were failing, and he had a feeling that he would be visited by his charming publisher/ex-wife before the week was up.

_Maybe she'll let me live_, he thought morbidly.

The author was then broken out of his thoughts by the sound of the loft door opening and the sound of his daughter's voice.

"Look, I'm sorry, Paige," she said, obviously on her cellphone. There was moment of silence, before Alexis responded. "Yes, but would you like to be talked about that way? She's a nice person, and Jeremy went too far, so did Lisa." By this point, Rick had entered the living room to see his daughter sitting on the couch, a slight frown on her face. "Well, at least you said something, too. Besides, we can find another table to sit at, if they don't let us back in by the end of the week." More silence. "Okay, see you tomorrow, bye."

"Rough day at school?" Rick inquired, seeing the annoyance on the younger Castle's face.

"Sort of," Alexis responded, sighing. Rick raised an eyebrow.

"It sounded like more than a 'sort of' to me," he said, going to sit down next to her.

Alexis frowned. "Paige, me, and two other kids got exiled from the lunch table today."

"Is there a reason?"

Alexis nodded. "During English, Ms. Beckett walked in and we all noticed something was different. When she faced us, we noticed that she did not have any concealer on her face. You could see the scar she was hiding under the makeup," Alexis explained, her voice getting quieter at the last sentence. Rick frowned, and had a bad feeling about what was coming next. "I could hear some kids start whispering about how horrible she looked. Ms. Beckett just told them to be quiet and continued teaching. At lunch, Jeremy, who is a junior, said that he thought she was still hot, but he wouldn't imagine her face anymore, when he, er, you know," Alexis mumbled, embarrassed. Rick pursed his lips and nodded, understanding the teenage boys thoughts. "Some of the guys agreed with him. Lisa chimed in and asked why anyone would be attracted to someone like her. Paige, Lindsey, Tyler, and I got mad and started defending Ms. Beckett. Paige said that it wasn't right to judge a person by his or her looks. Lindsey and I both said that she was a nice person and didn't deserve to be criticized. Tyler told the group that they should be a ashamed of themselves."

During her explanation, Rick smiled, proud that his daughter and her friends had stood up for the teacher. "So, what happened after that?" He asked.

"Everyone started yelling, and somehow, we wound up getting exiled from the table for the rest of the week."

Rick frowned. "That doesn't seem right."

Alexis shrugged indifferently. "It's okay, we can form our own table if we have to. Paige is a little annoyed, but to me, it was worth it."

"Well, I'm proud of you for standing up for her," he said, putting an arm around his daughter's shoulders. Alexis looked and him and smiled a little.

"Thanks, I just don't understand why they could say those things. She doesn't look that bad."

Rick wanted to say that he thought the brunette was gorgeous, but instead settled with saying, "Some people are just really shallow and can't see beyond what's on the outside."

"Apparently, you can," Alexis said, teasingly bumping his shoulder.

"She's a nice lady," Rick stated simply, knowing what Alexis was implying.

Alexis gave him a _'are you really trying to fool me?' _look. "You know that's not what I meant. I saw you dance with her on Friday." Her tone wasn't accusatory, just knowing.

Rick shrugged. "I thought it would be nice to do it as friends, since it was Valentine's Day," he said, a little nervous for Alexis' reaction.

"Relax, Dad, I don't mind. Just take it slow, okay?" Alexis said softly, looking at her father.

"I will, pumpkin. Now, I believe you have homework to do?"

"Okay, Okay, I get the hint. I'll go do my homework," Alexis said, before bounding up the stairs. As Rick watched his daughter, his brain was already working on ways to run into a certain hazel eyed teacher again.

* * *

AN: I got a little stuck on this chapter, but it turned out okay. Also, just in case anyone is wondering, the case Johanna is talking about has nothing to do with the Pulgatti case. There is no murder in this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	11. Chapter 10

AN: Here's the next chapter, obviously. Even though it's obviously, I just wanted to let you know that the first part of the chapter is Kate's point of view of Monday. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 10

Kate entered the school, bracing herself for the whispers she knew would come. She had already been to the coffee shop, where she had felt the stares from other customers. After ordering her drink, Kate had left the coffee shop quickly, trying to shake off the feeling of eyes staring at her. At the moment, she could see the students whispering to each other from her peripheral vision. Whenever she glanced at any of them, they averted their eyes. When she entered her classroom, she tried to occupy herself with grading papers, hoping to distract herself from the comments she had been hearing. When the bell rang, the students filed in and sat down. Plastering a smile on her face, the brunette began to teach the students. Unfortunately, throughout most of the lesson, she had to tell the students to stop talking. She could hear the whispers, and most, if not all, were about her. The same thing happened in the next class. While instructing the sophomore honors class, she saw Alexis Castle sitting in her seat, looking curiously at her. However, the red-head did not lean over to whisper to any of her neighbors.

Kate was relieved when lunch time arrived, hoping to get a reprieve from the whispers and stares. Unfortunately, the teachers were not much better. When she entered the teacher's lounge, Kate could feel several sets of eyes boring into the back of her head. Fortunately, Lanie, bless her heart, acted like nothing was wrong.

"So, how was Friday?" Lanie asked, obviously searching for juicy details. Lanie mentioning the day lifted Kate's spirits a little, causing a genuine smile to spread across her face for the first time that day. She recounted the details to Lanie, her spirits dampening a bit when she got to the end of her story. "Girl, he has it bad for you!" Lanie exclaimed, a wide grin on her face.

"I would prefer to be friends though, in case it doesn't work out."

Lanie glared at her friend, quirking an eyebrow. "You listen to me, Kate Beckett. That man is clearly attracted to you, and you're attracted to him. Hell, you might have other feelings besides that. You would be a fool to turn down a chance at happiness."

Kate sighed, knowing her friend was right. "You're right, but even if something does happen, I would want to take it slow. I don't want to rush into something, only to be disappointed in the end."

"I'm sure everything will work out for the best," Lanie said, patting Kate's knee in reassurance. Kate smiled, glad that she had someone like Lanie to talk to.

"Thanks Lanie," she said softly.

"No problem, girl. I'm here if you need someone to talk to, or to talk some sense into you," Lanie said, grinning. Kate laughed and shook her head.

"Speaking of relationships, what's going on between you and Javier?"

The giddy expression on Lanie's face was enough of an answer. "He asked me out on another date!"

"That's great! When is it?"

"It's supposed to be this Saturday. He won't tell me where we're going, he wants it to be a surprise. I'm not one for surprises, though."

"Neither I am. My history of surprises isn't exactly the best," Kate said. Lanie raised an eyebrow, wanting an explanation. "My roommate in college liked to play pranks on people. I was at the receiving end of quite a few of them," she explained, remembering a bucket full of water being poured on her.

"That stinks. Anyway, I am going to trust Javi and let him surprise me. Hopefully, I'll like whatever it is."

Kate nodded. "I'm sure you will."

Lanie nodded, and said, "Hey, did you hear about the fight that happened earlier?"

"What fight?" Kate asked, surprised that such an incident had taken place.

"Last period, a group of students got into a fight in the cafeteria. Unfortunately, no one can get a handle on what it was about. What's surprising is the people who were involved," Lanie said, leaning towards her friend.

"Who was involved?"

"Alexis Castle, Paige Gerald, Tyler Dynn, and Lindsey Chance," Lanie listed off, her voice low.

"Really?" Kate asked, surprised that the names had come up. She knew all of those students and they were usually very well behaved. "Anyone else?"

Lanie shrugged. "Just Lisa Malince and Jeremy Linz." Kate nodded in understanding, knowing that the two students were usually troublemakers.

"So, no one knows what the fight was about?"

"Nope, not a clue. There was no moderator present when it happened. The students who did hear anything are being tight-lipped about it," Lanie sighed, shaking her head.

"Oh well, I guess it happens sometimes. Anyway, I need to get to class. See you later," Kate said as she left the room. The rest of the day went by quickly, much to Kate's relief. The stares seemed to lessen as the day went on, since everyone had seen her already and their curiosity started to fade. However, Kate just wanted to go home and take a warm bath and relax. As soon as school let out, Kate went to the local drug store and bought two large containers of concealer, knowing that they would last her a while.

When she arrived back at her apartment, Kate started the bath and poured some bubble bath in. As she waited for the bath to fill, she went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. Taking her glass, she went back into the bathroom and stripped her clothes off, before settling herself into the tub. She let out a sigh and smiled, feeling much more relaxed and serene. As she sat in the tub, she let her thoughts wander to a certain author. Maybe Lanie was right, and she should just leave it to fate to be responsible for whatever happened between her and Rick. Kate then snorted a little, remembering various literary characters that had been screwed over by fate's hand. However, Kate knew that it could be different for her if she just conjured up the courage to put in a little effort into forming a relationship with Rick. She wanted to take it slow though, and start with friendship and then go from there. However, the undeniable attraction she felt for him made it nearly impossible. She would try though, even if it took all of her will power to do so. Resolved in her thoughts, Kate submerged herself further into the tub, enjoying a few more minutes of relaxation.

* * *

Rick sat at one of the tables in the coffee shop. It was Saturday, and he was setting his plan for 'running into' Kate Beckett into action. He knew she frequented the coffee shop all days of the week, so he decided to meet her there. He figured that Saturday was the best day, since she did not have work and would in a rush. As he waited, Rick played with the plastic bag labeled 'Crumbs' that he had set on the table. Before going to the shop, he had bought a cupcake from the Crumbs Bakery. He hoped that the gesture would cheer her up, if she was a little down from Monday. Also, he had a feeling she would love it. Based on what she had ordered the last time he was in the shop with her, she had a bit of a sweet tooth. The sound of the door opening broke Rick out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Kate walk in, and he could not stop himself from staring. Her brunette hair was pulled back into a ponytail, showing off her slender neck. She wore a white blouse that fitted her form, and jeans that fit snugly. Since her back was to him, his eyes wandered to her assets for a second, before snapping back to her face.

"Kate," he called out, smiling she saw him. Kate returned the smile, and started to head his way.

"Hey," she said, sitting across from him. "What brings you here?"

Rick shrugged. "I wanted a change in my morning routine," he said. "You?"

"I come here every morning to start my day," she replied, taking a sip of her drink.

"So, do you have time to stay and talk?" Rick asked, praying she would say yes.

"Yep, I have nowhere to go at the moment. I guess I can take that rain check now," she said, smiling. Her eyes then landed on the bag that was at the end of the table. "What's this?" she asked, reaching out to pull the object towards her.

"It's a cupcake," Rick explained as Kate peered inside the bag.

"I remember this place, I haven't been there in years," she said, pulling out the red and black striped box. "May I?" Rick gestured her to open it. When she did, she licked her lips. "This looks delicious."

"I'm glad you think so, because it's yours."

Kate's head snapped up in surprise, and then narrowed her eyes. "You planned this, didn't you?" she asked, she did not seem angry, though.

"Maybe, okay, yes, I did," he admitted shamelessly. "I wanted to get to know you better and figured this was the best way to do it."

Kate's heart fluttered a little at the comment. No one had ever put that much effort into getting to know her. "Well, you were right," she replied, pulling the confection out of the box. Rick watched as she examined the cupcake. The cake portion was made of chocolate. It was decorated with white caramel flavored icing, which was drizzled with caramel and chocolate syrup in a cross-hatch type pattern.

"It's called Dulce de Leche," he explained

"Thank you so much!" She exclaimed, grinning as she put it back into the box. Rick frowned when he saw this.

"You're not going to have some now?" He asked, confused.

"It's a little early for that volume of sugar."

"It's never too early for sugar," he said, taking the treat out of box and placing it in front of the brunette. "Come on, have some."

"Um, okay," she replied, breaking off a piece with two fingers. "Why do I have a feeling that you eat the sugary cereal in the morning?"

Rick laughed. "I do actually." Kate snickered a little, but Rick wasn't bothered by it. "What? I like the taste and the shapes of the tiny marshmallows."

"Whatever you say," Kate replied, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "So, what do you want to know?" She asked, inserting the piece of cake into her mouth

"Um," Rick replied, momentarily distracted by the way she slowly sucked the icing off her fingers, "everything, I guess." Kate narrowed her eyes a little.

"Everything?"

"I mean, whatever you want to tell me, of course," he replied, glad to see her relax at the statement.

"Well, I was born and raised here. Both of my parents are lawyers. I had a great childhood. In Stanford, I majored in English and minored in Criminal Justice. I got my teaching degree a few years ago, and began teaching second grade. Now, I'm teaching English to high school students," she finished. Rick stopped a frown from forming. What she gave him was enough, for the moment. However, he could not stop himself from asking:

"That's it?"

"What else is there to know?" she asked. Then, she sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, it's just hard for me to open up to people. Just give me some time, okay?" Sensing her discomfort, Rick gently held her hand.

"Hey, it's fine, I get it, take all the time you need," he said softly. Kate gently squeezed his hand in thanks.

"So, what about you?"

"Well, I told you mostly everything. I was raised by my mother, my father left before I was born. I spent most of my childhood traveling with mother to theater performances. I went to boarding school and started writing. I became a best-selling novelist shortly after. I had two marriages, which both ended in disaster. Although, the first one wasn't a complete disaster, since it gave me Alexis," he said, smiling wistfully.

"Her mother is not in the picture?" Kate clarified.

Rick shook his head. "No, Meredith left when Alexis was four," he said softly.

"Hey, if it's any consolation, you've seem to have done a pretty good job of raising her."

"Thanks," Rick said. "Anyway, my second marriage was to Gina, who is my publisher."

Kate laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "Your ex-wife is your publisher?"

"Hey, she's great at her job," Rick defended.

"But?" Kate teased.

"Every time she calls to nag me about a deadline, I'm reminded of why we got divorced," he replied dryly. Kate could not stop the small chuckle that escaped her. "So, now it's just me, my mother, and Alexis."

"No future Mrs. Castle in the picture?" Kate asked, finding herself hoping that he would say no. Much to her relief, he did.

"Nope, I haven't found the right woman yet," he replied, staring at their clasped hands. Rick looked back up at Kate, and some type of emotion in her eyes. Unfortunately, he could not put his finger on what it was. She opened her mouth to say something, but then his phone beeped, signaling that he had a text. "Sorry, hold on," he said, opening his phone.

_Gram wants you to pick up some Advil ASAP_, the text read.

Rick sighed. "Well, it looks like I'm needed at home. Here, let me give you my cellphone number," he said, writing his number on a napkin and handing it to her.

"Thanks," she said, putting the napkin in her pocketbook. She then leaned down and wrote something on another napkin. "Here's mine." Kate handed the napkin to Rick, who put it in his jacket pocket.

"I'm off then, see you around," he said, leaving the shop. As he left, he could hear her call out a thank you. He smiled, glad that he was able to make her day a little brighter. As he walked down the street, he hoped he would get that chance more often.

* * *

AN: Sorry if the chapter was a little dull, I'm trying to go slow with their relationship. Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving to those who are celebrating it, and as always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	12. Chapter 11

AN: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. It means a lot. Just a quick note, the break mentioned in this chapter is the break that happens in NY during President's Week. The one in the first chapter is the break used for midterm exams. Just in case anyone is wondering why there are two winter breaks. Thanks to theputz913 for giving me the idea for this chapter. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 11

The following week went by quickly. On Friday, both the faculty and students were abuzz with excitement over the impending week-long winter vacation that would happen within the next week. All the teachers discussed their plans for vacation. Some vowed to not give any homework over break, others did not care. Kate was one of ones who would not give homework. The students chattered about their own plans, which ranged from staying to home to going away with friends or family. Kate's only plan was that she would be having dinner with her parents on Wednesday. Kate was currently sitting on one of the lab tables in Lanie's room, quizzing her co-worker about her date. Since the week had been filled with cramming in homework and tests before break, Kate had spent most of her free time grading papers. It had been the first time that week that both her and Lanie could sit down and talk.

"So, where did he take you?" Kate asked, sitting Indian style on the table.

"He took me to this nice restaurant called Harbor Lights. It's down by the South Street Seaport. The food was great and so was the view. Afterwards, we looked at the boats that are docked along the harbor," Lanie said, the smile growing larger on her face with each passing word.

"So, anything else happen?" Kate asked suggestively.

"Maybe," Lanie replied coyly.

"Lanie Parish, you better spill the details right now!"

"Okay, okay." Lanie laughed at her friend's eagerness. "As cliché as it sounds, he took me to the end of the dock. As he tried to work up the nerve, I pulled him down to me and kissed him."

"How did it feel?"

"It felt fantastic. It felt different from other kisses I've had. It felt...right," Lanie finished, a dreamy look on her in face.

"Someone's in love."

"Mmmhhm, I'm pretty sure I am. So, what have you been up to? Have you met up with your author recently?"

Kate nodded, before recounting her meeting with him in the coffee. With each passing statement, Lanie leaned closer, listening with interest.

"So, are you going to call him?" the science teacher asked.

"I've been thinking about it, but I've been so swamped with work lately, that's it been hard," Kate responded.

"I know what you mean, but you should try to call him. So, did you take pity on your students for break?"

Kate chuckled. "I gave them work this week, so they wouldn't have to do anything for break. What about you? Are you a soulless monster for giving work, or did you spare them?" Kate teased.

"I just gave them optional extra credit. However, for some of them, it shouldn't be optional. It's a good thing that you gave them work this week, otherwise you'd be sorry when we return."

"How come?"

"By this time two weeks from now, teachers will be bitching about how much work they have to grade."

"Why?" Kate asked.

"The end of the marking is going to be only one week away. Teachers will be scrambling to get grades in, and students will be howling about how many tests they have. So, it's better to get your stuff done now," Lanie said sagely.

Kate nodded in agreement. "The only thing I have left is the department unit test, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Good. Now," Lanie said, grinning, "apparently, Javi already has an idea for our next date, but I need a new dress."

"Let me guess, you want me to go shopping with you?" Kate remarked.

"Mhmm, I need another girl's opinion," Lanie said.

"Okay, when?"

"How does tomorrow sound?"

"Sounds good to me. So, where are going?"

"I was thinking either Macy's or Lord and Taylor's, since they're the closest to each other. We can have lunch afterward."

"Fine with me. So, say eleven o'clock? I'll meet you at Macy's."

Lanie nodded. "Fine with me. You better get going," she said, looking at the clock.

"Oh, yeah, it's shortened periods today," Kate said, hopping down from the desk. The students had an early dismissal, so the periods were cut by five minutes. "See you tomorrow," she called out as she walked out the door.

* * *

"How about this one?" Kate asked, holding up a purple dress with sequins around the neck. She and Lanie were in the dress area in Macy's. They had already gone through several dresses, but Lanie still could not find one she liked. Lanie glanced at the dress, before shaking her head.

"Nah, I already own a lot of purple," she said, shifting through the rack.

"Well, there must be a dress you like," Kate said, not used to taking so much time to shop. She usually grabbed whatever she thought looked nice, and made sure it fit her.

"Relax, I'll know when I find it," Lanie stated, waving a dismissive hand and walking to the next rack. After a few moments, Lanie pulled out a dress. "What do you think of this one?" she asked, holding it up to her chest. Kate carefully assessed the dress, and then grinned.

"I love it!" she exclaimed. The dress was an emerald-green color with long sleeves. There was a ribbon of silk material wrapped around the waist that was a slightly darker shade of shade. The dress flowed nicely, stopping right above Lanie's knees.

"Me too, and I have the perfect pair of shoes that would go with this," Lanie said, placing the dress over her arm. Kate was to ask where they were going for lunch, when her phone rang.

"Hello?" she said, not bothering to look at the caller I.D.

"Hello there, Ms. Beckett," a smooth voice teasingly responded.

"Hey, Rick. What's up?" Kate asked. She looked at Lanie, whose attention was now fully on the brunette. Lanie raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile growing on her face.

"Nothing much, just sitting here writing, or at least trying to. That, and I'm bored," he responded.

"So, you called me as source of amusement?" Kate teased.

"Exactly, I needed some entertainment, and you're the first person who popped into my head."

"Very funny," Kate responded sarcastically. Lanie was looking at her with amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Anyway, the real reason why I called is because I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh, what?" Kate asked, intrigued. Apparently, so was Lanie.

Rick seemed to hesitate a little, before saying, "Alexis and I are going ice skating in Bryant Park on Monday, and I was wondering if maybe you would like to join us."

Kate frowned, and hesitated. She had not gone ice skating in years, not since that one incident where-

Rick interrupted her thoughts. "I mean, you don't have to say yes, I just thought it would be different from meeting in the coffee shop. Also, I need to get out; staring at a blank screen isn't helping me. I promise hot chocolate afterward," he sang. By this point, Lanie was gesturing her to say yes to Rick's offer. Kate could not help but grin at her friend's exuberance.

"Well, you do drive a hard bargain, Mr. Castle," Kate responded, holding back a laugh as Lanie did a mini cheer.

"Is that a yes?" he asked, excitement evident in his voice.

"That is most definitely a yes." Kate laughed, unable to contain her joy.

"Great! I'll see you Monday afternoon then?"

"Sure."

"Is two o'clock good for you?"

"That's a good time. Well, I'll see you then," Kate said, smiling.

"See you then, I can't wait. Bye," Rick replied, before hanging up. After she put away her phone, Kaye glanced at Lanie, who was absolutely beaming.

"What?" Kate laughed.

"You're going on a date with Richard Castle," Lanie said, letting out an uncharacteristic squeal.

"Yeah," Kate murmured. "I guess I am."

* * *

AN: That will be the last girl talk for a while. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.


	13. Chapter 12

AN: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 12

Kate walked towards the ice rink in Bryant Park, skates in hand. She had combed through the depths of her closet the night before, looking for the skates. Once she had found them, she had tried them on, and was shocked to find that they still fit her. Wearing the skates had brought back memories, both good and bad. Kate then shook her head, trying to clear her head from that line of thinking. As she got closer to the rink, Kate spotted Rick and Alexis nearby, and waved to them. Both Castles waved back enthusiastically.

"Hey you two," Kate said.

"Hey," Rick said.

"Hello, Ms. Beckett," Alexis said politely.

"Please, call me Kate today."

Alexis grinned at the brunette's statement. "Okay!"

"So, ready to go ice skating?" Rick asked, his eyes brimming with excitement.

"Sure, just let me put on my skates," Kate replied. After putting on their skates, the trio entered the rink. "I'm a little rusty," she warned.

"Don't worry, I'll catch you," Rick responded, winking at her. Alexis chuckled, before skating in front of the two.

"When was the last time you went ice skating?" Alexis questioned.

Kate smiled sadly. "It's been years."

"How come?"

"The last time I was here, it wasn't exactly pleasant," Kate responded quietly. She was surprised when she felt her hand get lightly squeezed. She turned to see Rick looking at her intently, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry," Alexis said, as she glided along the ice. "For being rusty, you're pretty good."

Kate grinned saying, "Thanks. It seems to be second nature."

Rick then scoffed. "You're just gliding. The question is: Can you really skate?"

"I'm pretty sure I can," Kate declared.

"Hmm, how about a race then?" Rick offered.

"Dad," Alexis scolded, rolling her eyes.

"It's okay, Alexis. I'm pretty sure I would win anyway," Kate replied, smirking at Rick.

"Oh really?" Rick asked.

"Yes, really."

"We'll see about that."

"Okay then, let's race," Kate declared. Alexis looked between the two adults, amused. She then pointed to a tree across on the other end of the rink.

"The first one to reach that tree on the other end is the winner," Alexis proclaimed. Both adults nodded in understanding, before getting into a starting stance. "On your mark, get set, go!"

Kate took off like a bullet, skating as fast as she could, her white skates blending in with the white ice of the rink. She turned her head to see Rick right behind her, catching up. She smirked, before facing forward. She smiled as she felt the cold air sting her cheeks a little, her vision blurring. At the rate she was going, Kate felt like she was flying. She had missed the feeling of ice skating, of feeling free. She moved faster as she neared the tree, before skidding to a stop. As she caught her breath, she saw Rick glide next to her, panting. Alexis followed close behind.

"I win!" Kate exclaimed, beaming.

Rick scowled. "You cheated!"

Kate scoffed. "It's not my fault you're out of shape."

Alexis rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Lose with dignity, Dad."

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side."

"Yes, but us girls must stick together," Kate said, winking at Alexis. Alexis laughed, nodding her head in agreement.

"Great, you turned my flesh and blood against me!" Rick exclaimed, feigning hurt.

"Stop being so dramatic, it's just a race," Kate said.

"Unfortunately, he can't. He claims it's part of the job description," Alexis jokingly whispered. Kate then turned to Rick, raising an eyebrow.

"What? Being dramatic helps me write," he said.

"Whatever you say, Ricky," Kate teased, skating passed him.

However, Rick was not letting her get away that easily. As she skated passed, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her. He pulled her closer to him, letting his warm breath fan her face.

"Never call me Ricky," he playfully growled, tugging her closer. Kate face tinged a slight pink at their closeness. They gazed at each other for a few seconds, both feeling the electrical buzz. Alexis then cleared her throat, breaking their moment.

"As cute as you two are, I want skate some more."

"Um, sure," Kate responded, before following Alexis around the rink. They continued like that for a while, with Kate occasionally pretending to chase Alexis. Rick skated close behind them, enjoying the scene playing out in front of him. The continued like that for a few more moments, until they tired themselves out. "That was fun," Kate announced, slipping off her skates.

"It is, isn't it? Dad and I do this a few times each winter. We occasionally go to the Rockefeller Center one, but we prefer this one," Alexis explained. Rick nodded in agreement.

"I prefer this one too, it's not as crowded," Kate said. "So, now what?"

"Hot chocolate!" Alexis exclaimed. Both adults laughed at her enthusiasm. "What? It's really good. Only, I'm not the one who orders extra marshmallows." Alexis glanced at her father, and smiled.

"Hey, I don't mind extra marshmallows myself," Kate said.

Rick beamed. "Finally, someone who agrees with me."

"Yes, but I doubt Kate becomes the Energizer Bunny afterwards," Alexis pointed out.

"No, I don't do that, thankfully."

Rick's expression turned contemplative. "I don't know, I think you could look cute. You know, with little bunny ears and a tail." By this point, his eyes had started roaming the brunette's body.

Alexis covered her ears and groaned. "Okay, I so did not need to hear that."

Kate laughed. "Okay, let's go get some of that hot chocolate, before you scar your daughter." Both Rick and Alexis nodded, the trio heading out of the park.

* * *

They arrived at a nearby shop, which was called Cabin in the City. All three were relieved to get inside, glad to receive some warmth.

"So, extra marshmallows?" Rick questioned Kate.

She nodded, grinning. "Sure," she replied, slipping into the booth. Alexis slid in after her.

Rick walked up to the cashier, whose name was Lily.

"Hey Mr. Castle," she greeted. Since Alexis and him were regulars at the shop, most of the cashiers knew them and vice versa.

"Good afternoon, Lily. What have I told you about calling me Mr. Castle."

Lily chuckled. "I'm sorry, Rick. So, what will it be?"

"Three hot chocolates, two with extra marshmallows, and two with whipped cream." He then glanced at the table, seeing Kate and Alexis talking. "Actually, make that three with whipped cream." Lily nodded, before getting the order. As he waiting for the order, he examined the shop. He had visited the shop with Alexis since she was little. They had found it by accident one day after ice skating, and had come back ever since. The walls of the shop were made of wood paneling, and the floors were made of wood as well. Five booths were lined up against one side of the wall, with a few other small tables next to it. Rick's favorite part of the shop though was the spacious area in the corner. A large, red, circular carpet rested on the floor by a stone fireplace, currently unlit. Surrounding the fireplace were a few comfortable looking lounge chairs. Two bookshelves rested on the right of the fireplace. He recalled sitting in one of the lounge chairs when Alexis was little, reading her a book as they both sipped on their hot chocolate.

He glanced at the booth that the two woman sat in, and smiled. He saw Kate laugh at something Alexis said, and a few moments later, Alexis was laughing as well. Rick was thrilled that they were getting along. He had always been secretly distraught over the fact that Alexis never had a mother figure in her life. His mother was around, but she was not the model for parenting. He had tried his best, and somehow, Alexis turned out to be a great kid, better than he had been, in fact. He hoped that Kate would stick around, so that he could get to know her better, and so Alexis had someone to look up to. He was broken out of his thoughts by Lily setting the cardboard tray on the counter.

"So, I recognize Alexis, but who's the attractive woman?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She's a...friend. Her name's Kate," Rick replied.

"Friend, huh?"

"For now, maybe," Rick said, retrieving the tray. He then paid the girl, before heading back to the booth. He set down the trays, before sliding into booth, directly across from Kate.

"I got you one with whipped cream, I hope you don't mind."

"No, I actually like whipped cream," Kate said, blowing on the beverage before taking a sip.

"So, what were you two laughing about over here?"

Alexis shrugged. "Just about some of the kids in school. You know, who can be a trouble maker sometimes and all that."

"You were a bit of a troublemaker a week or two ago," Rick teased.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that. What was that fight about anyway?" Kate asked. Both Rick and Alexis glanced at each other, neither wanting to answer. Alexis opened her mouth, but her beeped. She opened it up for second and then shut it.

"That was Paige. I'm supposed to meet her at the movies in a bit. I should get going," Alexis said, giving her father a quick peck on the cheek."It was nice talking with you, Kate."

"You too, Alexis. See you Monday."

"Don't be home too late," Rick called out. Both adults laughed as the red-head gave him a mock salute before heading out the door. Rick turned back to Kate again, whose eyes were shining.

"So, what was that fight about?" Kate asked, curious.

"Um, I'm not really sure," Rick lied. "Alexis didn't go into specifics. She just told me it was over something petty," he told her, not wanting to make her feel self-conscious.

"You sure?" She quizzed, squinting at him.

"I'm positive. So, did you enjoy today?"

Kate sat back into the booth, smiling. "Yeah, I had a great time."

"I'm glad. If you don't mind me asking, how come you haven't gone skating in a while?"

Kate bit her lip, her eyes reflecting uncertainty. A moment later though, the uncertainty was gone, replaced with determination.

"About two months after the incident that led to this," she said, gesturing towards her face, "My parents and I were feeling down, so we decided to go ice skating to lift our spirits. My mom had had trouble breathing because of the incident, but we didn't know how bad it was. However, that changed when we went skating." Kate frowned, obviously remembering. "She had been chasing me around the rink, when she suddenly stopped. She had a dazed look on her face, and I could tell she out of breath faster than normal. When my dad and I asked her if she was okay, she waved us off and told us she was just a little tired. However, it was taking a long time for her to recover. When she went to see the doctor, he told us that her lungs were damaged. It was severe enough that it would affect her breathing for the rest of her life. He told her that she shouldn't over exert herself, especially as she became older," Kate murmured, and then she snorted. "However, she doesn't always listen to him; a trait I apparently inherited."

Despite the melancholy aurora that had surrounded them, Rick could not help but laugh a little at Kate's side comment. The writer side of him wanted to pry and just outright ask her how she had received the scar on her face. However, he respected her wishes from earlier, and instead settled on saying, "Thank you for telling me that. I know it's hard for you to open up to people." She gave a small, sad smile in return. Wanting to change the subject, he asked, "So, are you ready to go?"

"Sure," she replied, getting up from her seat. After Rick helped her with her coat, they exited the shop. "My place is a few blocks away."

"Let me walk you back," Rick said.

"Expecting something, Mr. Castle?"

Rick chuckled. "No, just trying to do the gentlemanly thing."

"You? A gentleman?" Kate teased, her eyes dancing with laughter.

"Hey, don't believe all the tabloids!"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I don't."

"Good," he said. "It's just an image thing. It was my agent's idea. She thought it would sell more books."

"It seems so, from what I've heard." Kate winked at him.

Rick grinned. "Yeah, it's fine for a party or book sales. However, my personal life takes a blow because of it." He scowled and he shook his head. "I make sure to keep Alexis out of it as much as I can." He hated having people poke into his family life. He always believed in keeping them separate. Unfortunately, that did not always happen.

Kate nodded in agreement, happy to see how protective the author was of his daughter. They walked for a few moments in comfortable silence, just enjoying each others company. When they stopped in front of Kate's apartment building, she turned to face him.

"Well, this is me," she announced.

"I would do something like this again, just the two of us," he said.

"Um, sure. I'll let you know when I'm available," she said.

"Well, until next time," he murmured, pushing a strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. He then let his hand gently brush the left side her face, before dropping it to his side.

Baby steps, he thought to himself.

She looked a little dazed for a second, but then composed herself. "Goodbye, Rick," she said, heading up the steps.

"Bye," he called out. Rick gazed at her for a few moments, smiling, Suddenly, while standing there on the sidewalk, an idea started forming in his head. An idea that started to slowly shape itself into words and images. He smiled, realizing that his writer's block was dissipating. He then pulled out a pen and pad and began to jot words down. He then started to walk faster along the sidewalk, eager to get home. He grinned, relieved that Gina would not be killing him any time soon.

* * *

AN: So, what is Rick going to write about, hmm? Constructive criticism is welcome.


	14. Chapter 13

AN: Sorry for the wait, school and writer's block got in the way. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 13

"Hello, dear. How are you?" Johanna asked her daughter, taking the bottle of wine Kate was holding as Kate entered her parents' apartment. It was Wednesday evening, and Kate was having dinner with her parents as planned.

"I'm great. Something smells good," Kate remarked, sniffing the air.

"I made your favorite, duck with wild rice and cranberry sauce. There's cherry pie for dessert."

"Thanks," Kate said, grinning. "So, where's Dad?"

"He'll be home in a bit. He had to stay a little late since he's closing a case."

"That must be a relief. Speaking of cases, how is yours going?" Kate asked, sitting down on the black leather sofa in the living room. Her mother had been on the same case for a few weeks. She had looked into her client's financials and had found some things that did not coincide with his story.

Johanna grinned. "We won the case. My client was thrilled, of course," she said as she walked into the kitchen

"That's great!" Kate exclaimed.

"Yes, it is. Hopefully, things in the office will be quiet for a while. The case caused a bit of a stir. It wasn't enough for media attention, but it still was causing murmurs in the office," Johanna remarked, returning from the kitchen and handing her daughter a glass of wine.

"What kind of murmurs?"

"Just rumors about how far up the issue went. Thankfully, we finished before anything got out of hand," Johanna said, heading back into the kitchen.

As her mother worked in the kitchen, Kate looked around the apartment. The walls were blue with white bordering and the floor was made of polished wood. Various knickknacks and family photos decorated the mantle in the living room. Two black leather reclining chairs sat near the television in the corner. The coffee table in front of Kate was covered in various books and magazines. Attached to the living room was the dining room, which consisted of the china cabinet and dining room table, both made of mahogany wood. A small doorway to the right of the table led into the kitchen. The windows in the living room were covered with white lace curtains, which were currently floating due to the breeze. The bedrooms were further inside the apartment, both a fairly good size. Kate had had trouble adjusting to the apartment after the fire. Since their old apartment had become unlivable, the family had moved into another one. The apartment was nice, but Kate could never really call it home. Home was where her childhood memories were and the bedroom she grew up in was. Home was where pencil marks showing her growth spurts littered the door frame of the kitchen. It was where there was dent in the living room floor due to her mother and her playing catch when she was little. Also, Kate had never really lived in the apartment. Even though she returned home for her last two years of college, she had still lived on campus. Kate's thoughts were cut off by the apartment door opening. Her father entered the apartment, setting his briefcase down.

"Hey Dad," she greeted, giving him a light kiss on the cheek.

"Hello, Katie," he responded, smiling. "How are you?"

"Great, you?"

"Just closed a case actually."

"Yeah, Mom told me. So, how long did it take?"

"About two days. It was a by-the-book type of case," her father remarked. He then smiled as Johanna entered the room.

"Hello, dear," he said, giving Johanna a chaste kiss on the lips. "Something smells good."

"Hello to you too. Yes, dinner will be ready in a minute. You two go sit down," Johanna ordered, gesturing toward the table. Kate and Jim sat down at the table across from each other. A moment later, Johanna came in with two plates and set them down at both places and went back into the kitchen. She then returned with her own plate. "So, how is work going?" she asked, sitting down.

"It's going great, actually. The end of the marking period is in two weeks," Kate responded, after taking a bite of the duck.

"I guess it's going to be a hectic week for you then," Jim said.

Kate shrugged. "Not really. The only thing I have to do is create the unit test for each of my classes. I plan on doing that for the next few days. Besides that, I just need to calculate the grades and put them into the computer."

Johanna nodded. "So, have any other plans?" She asked, curious.

"No, but I did meet Rick and Alexis for ice skating on Monday," Kate said. She almost laughed when she saw her mother's face light up.

"That's great! So, how was it?" Johanna asked eagerly.

"It was a lot of fun, actually. Alexis is a sweet kid."

"And Rick?" Johanna inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Kate rolled her eyes and smiled. "The perfect gentleman. He's quite funny since he sometimes acts like a little kid, but he's a good father."

Jim looked between the two women, confused. "Who are you talking about, Katie?"

Kate then looked at her mother. "Oh, you didn't tell him about the dance?"

Johanna shook her head. "No, I didn't. I figured we would keep that to ourselves," she mock whispered.

Jim rolled his eyes. "Well, I would like to be in on this secret on who this guy is and what he wants."

"Relax, Dad. His name is Richard Castle. He's the father of Alexis, one of the students I teach. He asked me to ice skating with them."

"Wait, the author?

Kate wanted to groan, and nodded. "Yes, the author. He's a friend, for now." She bit lip.

"For now?" Her mother asked.

"He told me he wanted to get together again, just the two of us. I told him I would call him." Jim nodded, before picking up the paper, obviously disinterested in girl talk.

"That's great dear. So, are you going to call him?" Johanna asked, knowing Kate's tendency to avoid things. Johanna stood up and started to clear the table.

"Yes, I will. I just need to get things settled in school first," Kate said, standing up and helping clear the table. She followed her mother into the kitchen.

"Okay, good. Just be careful, though," Johanna warned.

Kate looked at her mother in confusion. "Why?"

"Well, since you're Alexis' teacher, some people would see it as a conflict of interest that you're dating her father."

Kate frowned, realizing that her mother was right. "I wouldn't treat her differently from any other student," she replied as she loaded dishes into the dishwasher.

"Other people don't know that though," Johanna pointed out.

Kate sighed. "I'll deal with it when the time comes." Suddenly, her phone beeped. Kate flipped it open to show a text saying:

_I'm bored_.

Kate snickered, and her mother looked at her confusion. "It's Rick."

_Shouldn't you be writing or something?_

A few seconds later a text came in.

_Already wrote enough for today. Now, I'm trying to entertain myself._

Kate rolled her eyes. "He apparently thinks I'm a source of entertainment for him." Johanna laughed as Kate texted back.

_Well, you're on your own. I'm having dinner._

_What's for dessert?_

_Wouldn't you like to know? ;)_

_You're a tease, Ms. Beckett._

_Thank you. Just for your information, it's a cherry pie._

_Mmm, you could share that, and a can of whipped cream. ;)_

Kate snickered, and then blushed when she realized her mother was staring at her, smirking.

_I'm at my parents' home._

_Oh, awkward._

_Yep, my mother is staring at me._

_Okay, I better go then, before I say something else embarrassing. Talk to you later._

Kate laughed and closed the phone. She looked up to see her mother smiling at her. "What?"

"I see you're very engrossed in what he was saying. Care to share?"

"Um, nothing important. He just wanted to talk someone out of his boredom." Kate shook her head, and then raised an eyebrow when she saw her mother staring at her intently.

"You just look really happy that's all. He's good for you, Katie."

"We'll see," Kate remarked, placing the pie on a tray. "Let's have dessert."

"Don't forget the whipped cream," Johanna said, picking up the can on the counter

Kate blushed and had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as she recalled Rick's text. Then, she headed into the dining room with her mother.

* * *

"I think it's an interesting idea, Rick," Gina said on the other side of the phone.

"But?" Rick pressed. It was Friday, and Rick had written an outline for his next idea for Derrick Storm. He had spent all of Monday night and Tuesday morning working on it, and then had sent it to Gina Tuesday afternoon.

"It has also been done. A girl with a tragic past and physical affliction asks a man for help, wanting justice. The man helps the girl, and they fall in love along the way, despite both the girl's physical flaws and insecurities."

"I know, I know," Rick grumbled.

"However, I do think you can make it work. Your new character, Tori Viper, seems to have a strong personality. It's enough that she and Derrick would go head to head a few times. There also seems to be a softer side that readers can connect with her. Also, the fact she is looking for her mother as her motive for asking Derek for help makes it a little more interesting, as well as the fact that she's supposed to be some heiress. So, she's not really following the expectations of society."

"So, it's a yes?"

"Probably, yes. However, I would like to meet in person to hash out the rest of the details. I am curious though, who is Tori Viper?"

"Isn't the background I gave you enough?" Rick asked, playing dumb.

"Don't be coy with me Rick. Whenever you come up with a new female character, they're based on someone you met. So, who is she?"

"That's private," Rick stated simply.

"Well, how long is she going to last? Six weeks? A month?"

Rick sighed. "I don't know. We're still getting to know each other."

"Oh, so you haven't slept with her, yet," Gina stated cynically.

"No, Gina, I haven't slept her. I don't plan to for a while. I have more respect for her than that," Rick responded, gritting his teeth in annoyance.

Gina huffed, and Rick could picture her rolling her eyes. "Well, make it last long enough for at least four books. After that, I don't care what happens."

"That's nice to hear," Rick said sarcastically.

"Anyway, eleven o'clock on Tuesday. Don't be late."

"I won't. Bye," Rick said, before hanging up the phone. He sighed before grinning and spinning in his chair with excitement. Gina may have been his ex-wife, but she was a great publisher. She was blunt when he needed it, and she was reasonable. So, he was thrilled that she was pretty much giving him the go-ahead for his next book. Unfortunately, he had not thought of a title yet, but he knew it would come in time.

Since he was basing the new character off of Kate, he wanted to give Tori some of Kate's traits. However, he still wanted Tori to be her own person. So, he knew he had to be careful with how he wrote her, especially given Kate's self-conciousness. Now, he just needed to figure out a way to tell Kate, without her killing him for it.

* * *

AN: Okay, just so you know, this story disregards Storm Fall. In the next chapter, a guest character is making an appearance, who could it be? Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.


	15. Chapter 14

AN: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. It means a lot to me. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 14

Kate sighed as she sat at her desk and graded another test. It was Tuesday and the day of the unit test. She had spent the rest of her break creating the tests for each class, combing through all of them afterwards to make sure that there were no mistakes. When she walked into school on Monday, it was just as Lanie had predicted. The teachers grumbled about scrambling to get more grades in for their classes and all the extra grading they had to do. The students muttered to each other about the pile up of tests, essays, and projects that were all due later that week. Luckily, Kate had told her students about the unit test before break, so they had all break to study. On Monday, she dedicated each class to reviewing, answering any questions that the students might have had. So far, the students seemed to be doing pretty well. There were a few grades in the high seventies, but most of the grades were excellent. Kate smiled as she wrote a ninety-five on the top of the paper she just finished grading.

The brunette looked up at the clock, and saw that the period would end in a few minutes. She then looked at the students who were sitting at their desks, diligently working on the essay part of the test.

"You have three minutes left. When you're done, please place the test on my desk," she reminded them. She then picked up the stack of papers on her desk, preparing for the next class. Just as she finished double-checking the tests, the bell rang. As the students left, the other class filed in. "Sit down quickly, so you can start as soon as possible," she said, handing a stack of papers to each row. As she walked to each row, she frowned when she saw Alexis' seat unoccupied. She was pretty sure the red-head was not absent, unless she had left early. "Has anyone seen Alexis?"

"I saw her this morning. She was also in the class before this with me," a girl named Brenda replied.

Kate frowned, concerned. Alexis was never late to class, and was not the type to skip class. Kate decided to wait a few minutes, hoping that Alexis would arrive. After grading some papers, Kate looked at the clock and saw that five minutes had passed. She frowned, realizing that the younger Castle's seat was still unoccupied. She then stood up and told the class she would return in a minute. After grabbing a teacher to supervise the class, Kate scoured the halls for the red-head. After a few minutes of finding no one, Kate decided to head to the office. However, just as she turned the corner, she spotted Alexis with another woman. The two women seemed to be arguing, talking in low voices. Kate watched the interaction for a few seconds, seeing Alexis shake her head at something the woman said.

"Is there a problem here?" Kate asked, her tone authoritative. Both women turned around to face her. The expression on Alexis' face resembled a mix between surprise and nervousness. The other woman however, had a smile plastered on her face and approached Kate.

"No, we were just leaving. Something came up at home, and Alexis needs to leave," the woman responded, her voice too sweet for Kate's liking. Not buying it, Kate looked over to Alexis, whose mouth was set in a frown. The girl shook her head slowly at Kate, and mouthed 'No'.

"Is her father aware that you're taking her out of school?" Kate quizzed the woman. As she said this, Kate examined the woman. The woman had long red hair and blue eyes, similar to Alexis. In fact, Alexis was almost an exact replica of the woman. The woman was also slender, and not surprisingly, very attractive. An air of confidence seemed to surround her.

_This must be Meredith!_ Kate thought.

"Of course Ricky knows," the woman responded, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I am her mother after all."

Kate frowned, suddenly feeling annoyed and territorial at Meredith calling the author Ricky. "Well, I guess you won't mind if I call her father to make sure then," Kate remarked. This earned her a scowl from Meredith.

"That won't be necessary," Meredith remarked, her tone still sweet. However, the teacher could see that the façade was slipping.

"Mom," Alexis warned. "Look, I really need to get back to class and take a test. You can take me somewhere later."

"Relax, sweetie. It's none of this woman's business anyway," Meredith stated. Alexis shook her head and sighed. She gave Kate a look that said 'Help me here.'

"It is my business when one of my students is being taken off the premises. Especially when it's clearly without parental consent," Kate responded calmly. Meredith opened her mouth as if to say something, only to close it a second later. "Go back to the classroom, Alexis. I'll talk to you in a minute," Kate kindly instructed the teen.

Alexis nodded saying, "Yes, Ms. Beckett. Bye Mom, I'll see you later."

"But Alexis," Meredith began to protest.

"No, Mom. I can't go with you. However, I promise to let you take me anywhere you want later."

Meredith sighed and nodded in defeat. "Okay," she muttered. Alexis smiled slightly before giving her mother a hug.

"See you later," the teen said, before walking down the hall. Once the teen was out of earshot, Meredith turned to Kate, eyes blazing.

"How dare you! You had no right to interfere!"

"Actually, I did. Since you are not Alexis' guardian, you should not be picking her up. It's against school policy," Kate stated coolly.

Meredith glared at her. "You could've just let it go."

Kate shook her head. "Not when it comes to the safety of my students." If Kate was honest with herself, it was not just the territorial feeling that had made her confront Meredith. She had also felt a certain protectiveness towards Alexis, despite the short time she had known her.

Meredith rolled her eyes and huffed. "Whatever. Just wait until I tell Ricky. You'll wish that you had just left us alone then," Meredith sniffed, as a smirk spread across her face. She then turned on her heel and walked away from Kate.

"Good luck with that," Kate muttered, before walking back to the classroom. When she arrived at the room, Alexis was waiting by the door."I need to talk to you for minute."

Alexis nodded. "I'm sorry about my mom, Ms. Beckett. I didn't know she was here."

Kate waved her hand dismissively. "It's okay, Alexis. You have no need to apologize. Anyway, I need to speak to you about the test. You don't have enough time to finish it," Kate said folding her arms and leaning against the wall.

Alexis frowned. "Probably not."

"However," Kate continued, putting up a finger. "I will let you take it after school today. That is, if you're able to."

Alexis nodded fervently, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah, I can. Thank you so much, Ms. Beckett."

Kate chuckled lightly at the teen's enthusiasm. "You're welcome. You can spend the remaining five minutes of the period doing homework or studying." Alexis nodded in understanding. Both women then went back into the room, ignoring the stares from the other students.

* * *

Rick sighed but grinned as he walked out of the building that housed the Black Pawn publishing company. His meeting with Gina had lasted a few hours. Tortuous as they were, they were worth it in the end. Gina and him had hashed out the details of his latest idea, and where he planned to go with it. They had also discussed deadlines, and at the rate he was going with his writing, even possible release dates. The only thing Rick had not done, or more like avoided doing, was discuss the book with Kate. She was the inspiration for the book after all. Rick admitted to himself that he was a little afraid she would not like the book, and would ask him not to write it. If that did happen, he would respect her wishes and immediately stop writing the book. Maintaining a relationship with Kate was more important to him than a book idea.

As he walked down the street, Rick checked his phone messages. One was from his mother stating that she would be home for dinner. The other was from Alexis. As he listened to the message, Rick became slightly confused. Alexis' voice emanated from the phone, saying:

"Hey, Dad. I'm going to be coming home a little later today. I have to take my English test after school. See you later."

Why did she have to a test after school? Had Alexis skipped a class? Rick was confused by the vague message. Glancing at his watch, Rick saw that it was four -thirty. He decided to pick up Alexis from school. He also admitted to himself that it gave him an excuse it see Kate again.

When he arrived at the school, Rick went into the main office. He approached the main desk where a older woman sat.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Castle," said the white-haired woman.

"Hello Diane," Rick said, giving the woman a kind smile.

"What brings you here this afternoon?"

"I came to pick up Alexis. I wanted to know where Ms. Beckett's room was located."

"Oh, I thought Alexis left earlier today."

Rick gave the secretary a confused look. "Why would she have left early?"

"Well, her mother was here to pick Alexis up earlier. I thought you knew," Diane said, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. Rick shook his head in denial. He then frowned. So Meredith was the reason for Alexis staying late.

"No, I didn't even know Meredith was in town."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought you knew and I let Alexis go with her," Diane stated, clearly worried.

Rick waved his hand dismissively. "It's okay." He knew how manipulative his ex-wife could be sometimes. The elderly secretary did not stand a chance when it came to Meredith and her adept ability to persuade others. "So, Ms. Beckett's room?"

"It's on the second floor, the first door to your left."

Rick thanked the woman before heading up to the room. He arrived just in time to see Alexis hand in her test. Kate was the first to notice him, and smiled a little when she looked at him. Alexis the turned around to see what the teacher was looking at.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Alexis asked.

"I got your message and decided to come pick you up. Hello, Kate," Rick said, giving the brunette a charming smile.

"Hello, Rick," Kate responded.

"So, care to tell me what happened?" Rick asked, turning back to Alexis.

The teen rolled her eyes and sighed. "Mom happened."

"Yes, the secretary mentioned something about your mother being in town," Rick muttered.

"She wanted to take me shopping. I didn't want to go since I had a test, but she all but dragged me out of the school. However, we were stopped," Alexis said, smiling.

Rick chuckled lightly. "I feel bad for whoever had to face your mother's wrath."

"That would be me," Kate chimed. Rick eyes grew wide to an almost comical size. "She wasn't that bad."

"Define 'bad'," Rick said, his eyes narrowed.

Kate waved her hand dismissively. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

Rick frowned, a feeling of protectiveness coming over him. "You sure?"

Kate rolled her eyes, but smiled at Rick's concern. "I'm positive," she responded, chuckling a little.

"Yeah, compared to Mom, Dad's pretty tame," Alexis remarked, lifting her backpack and placing it on her back.

"I can see that," Kate remarked, glancing at Rick.

Rick shook his head, and sighed. "Yeah, Meredith has been known to do some crazy things. Even things I wouldn't do."

"You sure about that?" Kate teased, her eyes twinkling a little. Rick had to stop himself from being distracted by them.

"Yes, I'm definitely sure about that," Rick responded, chuckling. "Ready to go?" He asked Alexis.

The red-head nodded. "So, pizza for dinner?" she asked.

Rick nodded, and then thought for a moment. "You want to join us?" he asked Kate. She stared at him, obviously surprised by his offer.

"You want me to have dinner with you at your loft?" Kate asked, still a little surprised.

"Yeah, come with us. I'm sure Gram would love to see you again," Alexis chimed. Rick carefully examined Kate as she decided, knowing that she was weighing her options. After a few moments, she nodded her head.

"Okay, I'll come with you," Kate responded. Rick could have leapt for joy at that moment.

"Then it's settled. We'll order the pizza when we return home," Rick stated. The trio left the school and began to walk down the block.

"Your ex is very interesting," Kate remarked.

Rick rolled his eyes and Alexis chuckled. "That's could be considered an understatement," Rick remarked.

"Has she ever pulled a similar stunt?" Kate asked, curious.

"Once, when I was four. She took me to Paris for lunch," Alexis said, shaking her head. Rick frowned remembering that day clearly. He remembered finding out that his ex had taken off with their four-year-old daughter to a different country. He also remembered how scared he had been, hoping that they would come home safe. Kate must have sensed his distress because she squeezed his hand lightly. He turned to see her staring at him, giving him a comforting smile. He was surprised, but pleased at her actions. From what he could recall, it was the first time she touched him in an affectionate way voluntarily.

"How did she get away with that?" Kate asked.

"Meredith was watching her, while I was in a meeting with my publisher. When I came home, I found them both gone. Meredith left a note stating where they went and that they would be back soon, as if it was the most normal thing in the world." Rick had to keep his anger in check with Alexis present.

"That's because it was, for her," Alexis remarked. Rick nodded. Meredith was no stranger to traveling on short notice, even if it was to a foreign country. By this point, the trio had entered the building that housed the Castles' loft. They entered the elevator and stepped inside.

"So, what does everyone want on the pizza?" Rick asked.

"Cheese and pepperoni," the younger Castle stated.

"Mushrooms and olives," Kate answered immediately.

Rick wrinkled his nose in disgust, picturing the little black circles desecrating his pizza. "You like olives?"

Kate rolled her eyes, and huffed. "Yes, I like olives. Deal with it."

"Normally, I wouldn't destroy my taste buds. However, you are a guest, so your wish is my command."

"Come on Dad, olives aren't that bad. You only hate them because you decided to consume a hot one," Alexis remarked, rolling her eyes. "He dared himself to eat one of the really spicy olives one day. Now he refuses to eat any olive, even the regular ones."

Kate snickered and smirked. "Why am I not surprised?" She raised an eyebrow at Rick.

"Hey, it's good to be daring sometimes. Life wouldn't be fun without being a little experimental," the author stated as he opened the door to the loft.

"Sure," Kate muttered. As she walked into the loft, Kate almost bumped into Rick as he stopped in dead in his tracks and muttered "Oh great." She looked in front of him to see what he was looking at, and when she did, the brunette frowned.

"Hello, Kitten."

* * *

AN: I tried to do Meredith as in character as I could, since she is in only one episode so far. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.


	16. Chapter 15

AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. It means a lot. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 15

"Hello, Meredith," Rick said, his voice calm. "What are you doing here?"

Kate watched as Meredith sauntered up to Rick and fingered the collar of the blue shirt he was wearing.

"I came to see you," Meredith responded, a seductive smile playing on her lips. Kate had to push down the feeling of jealousy that arose at Meredith's behavior. "It's been too long, Kitten."

"What have I told you about calling me Kitten?"

Meredith pouted. "What's wrong, Ricky? Don't you like seeing me?"

Rick narrowed his eyes and frowned. "I heard you were at Alexis' school today and were trying to take her out of school."

"Oh, that. I just wanted to take her out shopping. You know, for some bonding time. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Some bitchy teacher would not let Alexis leave with me. You should really talk to the school about its choice in teachers."

Kate stared at the woman incredulously. Was this woman blind, or was she purposefully ignoring Kate's presence?

"I believe you're talking about me," Kate said, keeping her tone calm. "I already told you that it's against the rules to take a student out without parental consent."

Meredith turned towards the brunette, her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?" She spat.

"I invited her for dinner," Rick said, his expression angry. "Also, you have no right to speak to Kate like that." He moved a bit, almost taking a protective stance in front of Kate.

Meredith scowled. "But she was mean to me, Ricky," she whined.

"She was doing her job, Meredith."

As the fight was going on, Kate glanced over at Alexis, who was frowning. Even though Alexis had a certain sadness in her eyes, it seemed that she was familiar with the scene playing out in front of her. Kate hated seeing Alexis this upset, even if the younger Castle was used to it. Leaning over to the teen, Kate suggested softly, "Maybe you should go to your room."

Alexis shook her head, and gave Kate a sad smile. "No, it's okay. I would hear them from upstairs anyway." Kate sighed, but nodded in agreement.

"What are you saying to my daughter?" Meredith asked with venom.

"I was just suggesting that she should go to someplace quieter to do her homework," Kate responded, not letting Meredith's attitude affect her. The brunette then looked at Rick, who looked embarrassed to to be fighting in front of her. She gave him a look of understanding.

"Don't tell her what to do," Meredith snapped.

"Stop it, Meredith! Your behavior is abhorrent, and you should apologize to Kate," Rick said.

Meredith looked at her ex-husband with surprise and then her eyes narrowed in suspicion. She looked between Rick and Kate for a moment, before saying, "Why are you so protective of her, Ricky? What makes her so special?"

"It's called being courteous and Kate is a guest in my home. You are to treat her with respect."

Meredith huffed, rolling her eyes. She then turned her eyes toward Kate, scrutinizing the brunette. She walked up to Kate, smirking. "So, how much concealer does it take to cover whatever it is you're hiding?" She asked, pointing to Kate's cheek. Kate swallowed a little, trying to stay calm.

"Mom," Alexis both gasped and scolded.

"What? You can tell that the texture of her face is off," Meredith said carelessly, shrugging. Advancing towards Rick, she put on a sultry pout. "You could so much better, Ricky," she said, fingering the lapels of his jacket. Kate frowned, and had to stop herself from agreeing with Meredith. After all, Kate believed she looked average next to Meredith and her flawless skin. Kate then looked at Rick, waiting for him to respond.

Rick took Meredith's hands, and gently, but firmly removed them. "I want you to get out."

"What?" Meredith asked, confused.

"I said get out. Pack your bags and book a hotel room. You can see Alexis during the week. However, staying here is out of the question."

"But Ricky," Meredith began to protest.

"No, Meredith. You have treated a guest in my home with complete disrespect, outright insulting her. Now pack your bags, and go," Rick stated firmly.

Meredith glared, before rolling her eyes. "Whatever, I wasn't even planning on being here that long. I'll go get my bags, but I will be back," she stated, glaring at Kate. The trio watched in silence as Meredith entered the study, and emerged a few minutes later with her bags. Rick quickly opened the door, gesturing Meredith to leave. Meredith rolled her eyes, before smiling. "See you later, Sweetheart," she said to Alexis.

"Bye, Mom," Alexis responded curtly. Meredith frowned at the teen's behavior, before stalking out of the apartment. Once the door was shut, Rick turned to Kate, his eyes full of concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Kate smiled tightly, and said, "I'm fine. I've heard worse."

"You shouldn't have to," Alexis said, frowning. Her father nodded in agreement.

Kate just shrugged, not really knowing what else to say. "So, how about that pizza? I'm starving."

Rick sighed, but let the subject go, for which Kate was thankful. "One hot pizza coming up!" He exclaimed, and then proceeded to take out his phone and dial the number.

* * *

"Well, it sounds like I missed out on all the fun," Martha said. Rick snorted and rolled his eyes. Of course his mother would call the argument that occurred earlier 'fun'.

It was dinner time, and Rick had just finished recounting the tale of Meredith's visit to his mother. She just shook her head and sighed.

"The good thing is knowing her, she won't be around for long," Martha remarked. "Now, enough about her. How are you, Kate? It's been a while since we last talked."

"I'm doing great," Kate said.

"That's good. I hear my son and granddaughter took you ice skating. How did you make it out alive?" Martha joked.

Kate chuckled. "Alexis was perfectly fine."

"Hey, what about me?" Rick protested.

Kate rolled her eyes and smiled. "You were a perfect gentleman." Rick beamed, hearing a certain seriousness in her statement, which was disguised behind the playful tone.

"Kate actually beat Dad in a race," Alexis chimed.

Martha turned to Rick, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, I didn't hear about that part."

"I must have forgotten," Rick lied, smiling a little at the memory. He had a suffered a momentarily bruised ego after losing that race, but he did not mind. Seeing Kate's flushed face and sparkling hazel eyes full of joy had made the loss worth it.

"His ego was probably too bruised," Alexis joked. Kate snickered at the comment.

"I'm not that much of a sore loser," Rick said. "Also, I recall a certain someone swearing like a sailor when she lost a game of Monopoly."

Alexis opened her mouth, and then closed it. She then pursued her lips before saying, "Touché."

Rick turned to Kate, who had a smile on her lips. She seemed to enjoy the exchange between the two Castles. He smiled to himself, glad that she was having a good time. Looking at the scene in front of him, he felt a certain warmth grow inside him. Kate, Martha, and Alexis were talking to one another as if they known each other for a long time. Martha said something, while the other two women laughed at what had been said. Kate looked perfectly ease, and looked like she was part of the family. Rick found himself liking the idea more than he should. His thoughts were interrupted by Kate's voice asking,

"Who's Tori Viper?" She had a quizzical look on her face.

Rick wanted to groan. He had planned on telling Kate about the book after dinner was over and they were alone. However, it seemed that someone had spilled the beans. Rick looked at his mother and Alexis, searching for the guilty party. Martha's expression gave her away.

"It's the new character Dad created. Actually, it's based on-" Alexis began,oblivious.

"Um, don't you have homework to do, Pumpkin?" He asked, giving the young red-head a meaningful look. Alexis looked between him and Kate for a moment, before understanding reached the girl's eyes and she nodded her head.

"Yeah, I do. I'll be upstairs. It was fun talking to you, Kate."

Kate nodded and smiled. "You too, Alexis. I'll see you tomorrow." The red-head nodded, before going up the stairs.

"Well, I guess that's my cue to leave. I'll be in my room if you need me," Martha said, before heading upstairs as well.

Rick watched as Kate's eyes followed the two women up the stairs. "That was weird," she remarked, frowning.

Rick shrugged. "Er, yeah. Anyway, come into my office with me, I want to show you something,' he said, taking Kate's hand. He led her away from the table, abandoning the empty pizza boxes that were there. Once they got into his office, he instructed her to sit on the couch. Kate obeyed, and began to look around the room, intrigued.

"So, this is where you come up with your ideas," she said, grinning.

"Yep, most of the time," Rick stated, searching through a drawer in his desk. A few seconds later, he pulled out a small stack of papers.

"Most of the time?"

"Well, sometimes I'll just come up with something on the spot anywhere." Rick stated, sitting next to Kate. "You never know when inspiration will strike you," he murmured, gazing at her as he handed her the stack of papers.

"What is it?" Kate asked, flipping through the stack of papers quickly.

"It's part of the manuscript for my next book. I want you to read it."

"Me? Why?"

"Just read it, please. I'll tell you why when you're done."

Although obviously still confused, Kate opened up the first page and began to read. Rick watched her apprehensively as she turned each page. She seemed very focused, and definitely got into the story. A few minutes later, she closed the manuscript and looked up at him.

"So, what did you think?"

"I like it so far," she said, "But I still don't understand why you're showing this to me."

"I'm showing this to you because it's based off of you," Rick stated, looking at her nervously.

"Wait, what?" Kate asked, surprised.

"The female character, Tori Viper, is based off of you."

"Why?"

Rick sighed and then looked into the brunette's eyes. "You've inspired me to write, Kate. Something clicked inside me since I've been with you, and I haven't stopped writing since," he murmured.

Kate frowned, and gazed down at her lap."Is that why you want me around then? So you can continuing writing and get another book published?" She asked bitterly.

Rick frowned at her train of thought and then gently tilted her face up to look at him. "No, that's not why. I thought of this a little bit after I met you. I still want to be with you, even if I did not come up with this idea," he said softly, seriously. Kate seemed to contemplate his answer for a minute. She then bit her lip and said,

"Then, what are you asking?"

"I'm asking for your permission to continue writing the story. If you say no, I'll stop immediately. It's up to you."

Kate sighed and was silent for a few moments. The tension in the air was palpable as the pair sat silently, waiting for Kate's answer. Finally, she responded, "I don't know."

Rick furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "You don't know?"

Kate shook her head. "I'm not sure. I need more time to think about it." She looked at the clock on his desk, and sighed. "I need to get going." She got up and started to walk to the door.

"Let me show you out," he said. They walked to the door and he grabbed her coat off the hook. After helping her put it on, she turned to face him and looked at him intently.

"I'm not saying no," she said. "I just need to think it about it for a bit."

Rick nodded in understanding. "Well, no matter what you decide, I still want to be with you," he said softly.

Kate just nodded, seeming a little uncertain. "Well, goodbye, Rick," she murmured, opening the door.

"Goodnight Kate, " he responded, leaning closer to her face. He waited a few moments, making sure she was not going to pull away. When he was sure she was not going to, he gently pressed his lips to her right cheek. He felt her tense a little, before she relaxed. When he pulled away, he saw a slightly dazed expression on her face. She then looked at him and smiled, her eyes filled with happiness. She opened the door fully and then left, closing the door behind her. Rick sighed relief, before going to clean up the dining room table.

* * *

AN: I'm a little unsure about this chapter. I was trying to make the characters as in character as possible, but I'm not sure about Rick for the first half. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.


	17. Chapter 16

AN: Wow, this story has reached the one hundred review mark! Thank you so much guys, it means a lot! As always, constructive criticism is welcome!

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 16

"So, what's up? You seem distracted today," Lanie said.

It was Thursday, and Kate had been trying to make a decision about whether or not to give Rick the go-ahead on continuing the book. She had spent the last two days mulling over the decision, trying to figure out the pros and cons. So far, the score was even.

"Sorry, it's just that something big came up," Kate responded, placing her elbows on the desk. The two women were sitting in the middle of the basement corridor, due to the fact that Lanie's free period was used for hall monitor duty for the biology teacher.

"And what exactly is this big thing?" Lanie inquired, capping the red pen she had been using to grade papers.

Kate sighed. "Well, after school on Tuesday, I went to the Castles' loft to have dinner," Kate started.

"And?" Lanie pushed, eager for more.

"After dinner, Rick took me into his office where he handed me a manuscript and asked me to read it. I didn't understand why, but I read it. When I was done, I asked him why he wanted me to read it, and he told me that," Kate hesitated.

"Told you what? Spill!" Lanie exclaimed, getting impatient.

"He told me that the book was based off of me. Well, the main female character is based on me," Kate explained.

Lanie raised an eyebrow in surprise. "He wrote a character inspired by you?"

Kate nodded. "Yeah. He told me that he wouldn't write anymore until I told him it was okay," she sighed, leaning back into the chair, and running a hand through her hair.

"So, now you're trying to make the decision, which is what has been distracting you," Lanie stated. Kate nodded, and frowned. "So, what is it that's got you concerned? Publicity?" Lanie inquired. Kate smiled a little, grateful that Lanie seemed to understand her dilemma, and was not just dismissing it.

"That's part of it," Kate responded, frowning and touching the side of her face. She saw Lanie eye her cheek, but kept silent. "However, I'm also afraid that he won't see me anymore," she whispered.

"See you?" Lanie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"I'm afraid that he'll get so engrossed in the character he's writing, that he'll be wanting to see her personality instead of mine when we see each other."

"Ah, I get it. You're afraid that his expectations will change," Lanie stated.

Kate nodded. "He told me that my answer doesn't matter, and that he'll still want to be with me. I'm just afraid that if I say yes, he'll just use me for ideas, and then get bored when he doesn't need my services," Kate grumbled bitterly.

"And if you say no?"

"He'll realize that he shouldn't have listened to me, and come to resent me for holding him back from success. I know it's a horrible thought, but I can't help it," Kate muttered, hating herself for thinking so low of the author.

"I understand your concerns," Lanie said. "However, I don't peg Rick as the type of guy who would do that. Also, if his earlier actions indicate anything, you're not someone he would just toss to the side. You're special to him, and like you said, if he really did care about you, the answer you give him won't ruin the dynamics of your relationship."

Kate nodded in agreement, saying, "I think you're right, but still..." she murmured.

Lanie raised an eyebrow, assessing her friend. "There's something else that's bothering you, isn't there?"

"When we went to his loft, his ex-wife wife was there," Kate stated, frowning at the memory.

"Which one? I haven't met either of them."

"Meredith, the one who is Alexis' mother. I already had the misfortune of running into her earlier that day," Kate stated. At Lanie's quizzical expression, Kate to explain what had happened earlier that day, finishing with a roll of her eyes.

"So, you were already on her 'shit' list, so to speak."

Kate nodded. "When we met her at the loft, she was all smiles, until she saw me. She asked what I was doing there, and then told Rick he could do so much better, the better person being her. Rick kicked her out for that remark," she stated. "For a moment, I believed her. She seems to be his type. She's very attractive. She has red hair and a model-like body. She seems more of a match for him than I am, and she fits into his social circle perfectly. However, her personality leaves much to be desired," Kate snorted.

"Did it occur to you that maybe she's jealous?"

"Jealous? Why would she be envious of me?" Kate asked in disbelief.

"Well, Rick invited you to the loft to have dinner with his family. Also, from what you're telling me, it sounds like she not used to being turned down,and she's insecure that Rick has a new woman in his life." Lanie shrugged.

Kate furrowed her eyebrows for a moment, thinking. It had never occurred to her that jealousy was the reason for Meredith's actions. However, as the brunette thought about it, the more it made sense. The reaction the red-head had when Kate had suggested that Alexis go up to her room. Then, the sudden blasé attitude Meredith had when Rick kicked her out.

"I think you're right," Kate remarked. Usually she was not a vindictive person, but she couldn't help smiling a little at the thought of another woman being jealous of her.

"Good. Now, back to the book thing. I think that maybe you should think it over a little more. Not too long, though. He probably has a deadline. My opinion on your answer is that you should say yes, since you don't really know what the outcome could be, unless you try."

Kate sighed. "I'll think about it. I mean, it's not that I'm not flattered by the whole thing, I am, a little. It's just that it's also weird for me."

Lanie nodded in understanding. Then, a Cheshire Cat grin appeared on her face. "So, what's the new character's name?"

Kate shook her head and laughed. "Oh no, I'm not telling you any of that. That is staying confidential until when or if he releases the book."

Lanie pouted. "Party pooper," she muttered. "So, did anything else happen?" Lanie asked in a suggestive tone.

Kate grinned. "Actually, yes."

"Oh, what?" Lanie leaned closer, eager for the juicy details.

"He kissed me. Well, on the cheek, but still." Kate smiled at the memory, recalling how soft his lips had felt on her rough skin.

"That's great! It means you're making progress!" Lanie exclaimed, clearly exuberant at the current news.

"And also, it was on this cheek," Kate added, tapping her make-up covered cheek. "No guy has ever done that before," she added softly.

"I'm happy for you, girl," Lanie said, beaming.

"I am too. It's the first time I've been really happy in a long time," Kate muttered. "So, enough about me. What have you been up to with Javier?"

Lanie grinned at the brunette's question, and proceeded to tell her all about her date with Javier from the previous week. The two continued like that for the rest of the period.

When Kate arrived back at her apartment later that day, she had made her decision about what to tell Rick. However, she tried to stall by heading into the bedroom and changing into more comfortable clothes. After she was done, Kate grabbed her cell phone and settled herself on the bed. Before she lost her nerve, the brunette dialed the author's number and took a deep breath as the phone started to ring on the other end.

* * *

Rick sighed and tapped his fingers on the desk as he stared at the blank word document on his laptop. This time, however, his issue was not writer's block. The issue was that he wanted to write, but he was waiting for Kate to give him the green light. It had been two days since he had told her about the new character, and he had not heard a word from her since. The deadline would be approaching soon, and Gina was getting impatient.

He briefly contemplated on calling Kate, but then shook his head. The ball was in her court, and he knew it had to stay that way. When he had told her that her answer wouldn't matter, he had meant it. Even if she told him no, he still wanted to see where their relationship would go. However, he was afraid that her encounter with Meredith may have given her second thoughts. His own thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing.

"Hello?" He answered, not bothering to check the caller I.D.

"Hey," a soft voice on the other side responded.

"Kate?"

"Yeah, it's me," she said. "Listen, I called to talk to you about the book."

"Okay," Rick stated. His heart began to drop a little at the tone of her voice.

"I want you to do it."

"Okay, let me just, wait did you say yes?!" Rick exclaimed.

A soft chuckle emanated from the other side. "Yes, that's what I just said. I want you to do it, I want you to write the book."

"Oh, thank you, Kate, thank you!" Rick exclaimed, thrilled. His heart fluttered when he heard a loud laugh.

"You're very welcome," she responded.

"I promise to keep the paparazzi from finding out for as long as I can. Also, I'll try to make sure my agent doesn't bother you. Since, I'll have to tell her at some point-" he babbled, already preparing for future issues.

"Rick!" Kate exclaimed, seeming to try to get his attention.

"Yes?"

"It's okay," she said, chuckling softly. "We'll cross those bridges when we come to them. Right now, just write the book."

Rick smiled, glad that Kate at least seemed calm at the moment. "Okay. Do you want to read the manuscript when I'm done?"

"No, that's okay. I trust you with your writing, and I'll just wait for it to come out like everyone else." Rick grinned at her response, flattered that she had so much faith in him.

"Any concerns?" he questioned, making sure that all the bases were covered.

"No, not at the moment," Kate stated.

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I will tell you if I ever do have concern, though."

"Good." Rick nodded. "So, now that that's over with, I have a question for you."

"And what would that question be?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"Are you available any time soon? I believe you promised to have a day out with me, just the two of us," Rick stated, smiling.

"I believe I did," Kate teased. "Um, I'm free this Saturday. Are you?"

"Yep, so am I. So, Saturday then?"

"Saturday it is. So, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. See a movie, take a walk in the park? We could just be spontaneous."

"Really? No plan?" Kate quizzed.

Rick nodded, enthusiastically, even though she could not see him. "Yeah, come on, it could be really fun. Please?" he begged.

"Okay, okay. We'll be spontaneous for the day," Kate chuckled.

"Yes!" Rick exclaimed, pumping a fist.

"You are such a child sometimes," Kate teased.

"But you love me for it."

"Mmm, maybe," Kate stated. Rico's eyes widened at her subtle almost admission. Shaking it off, he tried to prolong the conversation, wanting to hear her voice more.

"So, where are you?"

"In my bedroom, on my bed," Kate responded.

Rick's eyes widened at her admission, and he swallowed, impure images forming in his head. "Really?" He tried not to squeak.

"Yes," she responded. This time though, her response had a sultry undertone to it. "Would like to know what I'm wearing?" she asked in a seductive tone.

Yes please! he thought.

"Maybe," he responded, trying to play it cool.

"Okay, then," she started slowly, drawing out her words. "I'm wearing," she began, pausing.

"Yes?" Rick responded, failing at trying to not sound eager.

"Grey sweatpants and sweatshirt," she finished, laughing. "You're too easy."

However, Rick was not thrown. "Maybe, but I bet you would look sexy, even in that," he responded smoothly.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll let you find out one day."

"And I can't wait for that day to come," Rick said right back. Both laughed for a few minutes, before gradually calming down.

"So, see you Saturday?" he questioned.

"Yeah, see you Saturday. Bye, Rick," Kate said.

"Bye, Kate," Rick whispered, before hanging up. He then grinned, and spun in his chair, pumping his fists. He had a date with Kate Beckett!

* * *

AN: I got stuck on this chapter, so it's probably not as good as some of the others. As always, constructive criticism is welcome. Also, Happy New Year to everyone!.


	18. Chapter 17

AN: Well, here's the date! Thank you to those who have followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 17

Kate finished applying lip gloss to her lips, before looking at her reflection in the mirror. Saturday could not come fast enough for her, and it had finally arrived. Rick had called the day before to arrange a pick up time and find out which apartment Kate lived in. The only non-spontaneous part of their date, he had promised.

Kate smiled as she checked her appearance. She had decided on jeans, a white blouse, and black flats. The jeans and blouse hugged her body nicely, and the flats were practical for walking. She had curled the ends of her hair under, creating a frame around her face. Besides her concealer, lip gloss and light eyeshadow were the only things Kate used for makeup. She nodded to herself in approval, hoping Rick would like her appearance as well. Just as she was leaving her bedroom, there was a knock at the door. Grinning, Kate practically ran to the door and opened it to reveal a smiling Rick.

"Good afternoon to you," he said.

"Hello to you too," Kate responded, gesturing for him to come in.

"Nice place. Oh, these are for you, by the way," Rick told her, handing her a bouquet of an array of flowers.

Kate sniffed the flowers. "Thanks. Let me just put these in a vase, and then we'll go." She went over to a cabinet in the kitchen, her back facing Rick.

"Okay. You look gorgeous by the way," Rick commented. Kate blushed as she felt his eyes on her.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she responded, turning around and grinning. Actually, he looked handsome. Rick wore jeans, a light blue shirt, and white and black Nike sneakers. Turning to the sink, Kate filled a vase with water, and put the bouquet in it. "Ready to go?" she asked, grabbing her jacket.

"Yep," he said, holding the door open for her. They walked in companionable silence together as they exited the apartment. However, once they ventured outside, Kate's curiosity began to increase.

"So, any ideas on what we should do, Mr. Spontaneous?" Kate teased.

Rick furrowed his eyebrows, his lips forming into a slight pout. Kate could not help but think that the expression made him look cute. She then internally laughed at herself for using the word 'cute' to describe Richard Castle. Her thoughts were interrupted by Rick's voice saying:

"How about the zoo?" he suggested.

"The zoo?" Kate raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, the zoo. You know, the place where animals are caged and put on display for humans to view," Rick teased.

Kate snorted and rolled her eyes. "Thanks, smartass," she chuckled. "I haven't been to the zoo in years. It would be fun to go."

Rick grinned. "The zoo it is then!" Kate chuckled at the author's enthusiasm before continuing to walk toward the direction of the park that contained the zoo.

"So, do you have a favorite animal?" she asked.

"Monkeys," Rick said simply. Kate then raised an eyebrow, an amused smile on her lips. "They're like us, in way. Also, they're very active animals and supposedly very intelligent," Rick stated. "And you have to admit, they're kind of cute." Kate laughed a little, but nodded in agreement. "What about you?"

Kate pursued her lips and thought for a moment. "It's a tie between tigers and pandas."

"Tigers and pandas? Interesting," Rick remarked.

"What?"

"Well, it's just that they're on two very different ends of the spectrum. One wants to kill you, and the other one, well, doesn't. Although, if a panda sat on you, it probably could," Rick mused.

Kate snickered. "I like tigers because they can be lethal and ferocious but carry themselves in a graceful manner. Pandas however, are gentle and calm. Also, I do think they're cute too," Kate admitted.

"Well, we'll get to see all of them today," Rick said as they entered Central Park.

Both were silent, just enjoying each other's company. Even though it was March, it was fairly warm out, but not enough to avoid wearing a jacket. The sun shone through the trees, creating slits of light in the walkway of the park. Birds could be heard chirping, and some squirrels ran around, coming out of hibernation. Kate had always liked walking through Central Park; she found it very calming. Now that she was walking with Rick, she somehow felt both calm and elated at the same time. Kate thought that maybe it was the vibe Rick gave off. Once they entered the zoo, they went to the admission booth to buy their tickets. Kate began to dig her wallet out of her bag, but Rick put his hand against hers, stopping her.

"Let me pay for this," he said.

"You really don't have to, I can pay for my ticket," Kate assured him.

"No, it's my treat," Rick insisted. Then, he gave her a puppy dog look. "Please?"

Damn it, why does he have to look so cute like that? Kate thought.

Kate cursed herself for being unable to resist the look and sighed. "Okay, fine, as long as I pay for something later."

"Deal," Rick said, before turning to the woman in the booth.

* * *

Kate had to cover her mouth with her hand to stop a loud laugh from escaping. The expression Rick was wearing looked identical to the one the monkey they were staring was wearing. As part of being spontaneous, they had agreed not to get a map of the zoo and just look at the exhibits at random. So far, they had seen the lions, the giraffes, and the peacocks (which Rick tried to imitate by puffing out his chest, much to Kate's amusement). They were now in the primate house, staring at the chimpanzee exhibit. Rick was having a staring contest with one of the monkeys, or at least trying to.

"I don't think he's aware you're challenging him," Kate teased, looking back and forth between the monkey and the author.

"Shh, he's going to cave soon, I can feel it," Rick whispered, continuing to stare at the primate. Kate chuckled and examined the monkey. It was staring at Rick, and had been for the last few minutes.

Maybe it does know, Kate thought in amusement.

However, a few seconds later, the black, furry primate blinked and turned its head away. It then ran off to join its friends in the exhibit.

"Yes, I win!" Rick exclaimed, grinning. This time Kate could not hold back a laugh. She liked seeing Rick like this, so care-free. There were no daughters to worry about, no students to watch, and no ex-wives to confront. It was just him and her, together. He seemed almost child-like at the moment. Normally, something like that would have bothered her. However, she knew Rick could be serious when he needed to be, so his current state created a perfect balance. Although, Kate knew she shouldn't be surprised, based on the infamous laser tag games she had been told about.

"Okay," she chuckled. "Let's look at some more monkeys."

The couple browsed the rest of the primates, spending some time at each one. When they reached the lemurs, however, they spent the longest time. Both were amused at the little animals activities, observing it do tricks with its tail. After growing bored, they left and looked for another outside exhibit.

"Want to see the tigers?" Rick asked.

"Sure," Kate responded.

When they reached the exhibit, Kate's eyes were drawn to the tiger walking around. She did not know what it was, but she had always loved tigers. As a child, she had owned a stuffed one which she slept with every night. She actually still had it, in a box deep in her closet.

"Wow," she muttered as she continued watching. The tiger leapt off the rock, and walked to the far side of the exhibit. The tiger then tended to a young cub that had been standing there.

"They are interesting," Rick said. "However, I don't think I would want to be in a room with one."

"You're right on that point. It would be pretty terrifying to face one of those things," Kate agreed.

"Good thing that will never happen," Rick remarked. Kate nodded in agreement, before the couple moved on. They visited other exhibits, occasionally commenting on each one. However, the panda exhibit was under construction, much to Kate's disappointment. Throughout the walk, Kate found herself unconsciously linking her hand with Rick's. The author did not say anything, but Kate could swear he smiled each time it happened. When they reached the last exhibit, Rick's eyes lit up as he said,"Alexis loves these things!"

"Well, let's go in then," Kate remarked. They entered the cave-like building, and were immediately greeted with loud squawking sounds. "They sure are loud."

"Yeah, they are. Alexis used to like to stand here and just watch them. The sound would give me a headache after a while, but I suffered through it," Rick sighed dramatically. Kate chuckled and slapped his chest playfully.

"Drama queen," she teased.

"You can blame my mother for that. She instilled some of her dramatics into me when I was growing up. It's part of my nature."

Kate just rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling. Due to the arctic-like temperature, Kate found herself shifting closer to Rick for warmth as they moved through the exhibit. They watched the black and white birds waddle around and occasionally jump into the water. The ones that did jump in, the couple would then see the penguins swimming. Both were impressed by how fast the small creatures swam. Once they left the exhibit, Rick insisted that they browse the gift shop before they left the zoo. Kate decided not to argue, and followed Rick.

Upon entering the gift shop, Kate began to half-heartedly look at some of the items. She did not plan on buying anything that she did not need. The brunette had been looking at some shirts with the zoo's logo on it, when she began to scan the store for Rick. The author had disappeared the minute they had entered the store, and she had not seen him since. She was about to go further into the store, when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around to come face to face large, black eyes.

"This is for you," Rick said, handing her the tiny stuffed panda. Kate took the animal from him and smiled.

"Oh, Rick, you didn't have to do that," she said while examining the bear. It had large black, bead eyes and a plastic black nose. A smile was stitched on the face with black thread. It wore a miniature tan shirt with the zoo's name on it. Kate then began gently stroking the toy, feeling its soft fur between her fingers.

Rick shrugged. "I figured that since you didn't get to see them today, a stuffed one would be the next best thing."

"Thank you," she responded, and then frowned. She suddenly felt guilty for not getting him anything. As if he was reading her mind, he said,

"And don't worry about it," he warned. "Consider it something to remember from our date." His eyes widened a little, as if realizing a slip. "Uh, I mean-"

Kate cut him off with a soft laugh. "Relax, Rick, I consider this a date. I mean, unless you're not," she started, getting nervous that maybe she had read him wrong.

"No, no, I consider this a date. I just wasn't sure if you did." Rick sighed in relief.

"I thought the hand holding would have given you a hint," she teased as they left the gift shop.

"I was just making sure," Rick defended, before linking their hands together. Kate felt a slight warmth fill her as he touched her. She smiled and squeezed his hand. Once they exited the zoo, they began to walk around the park aimlessly, enjoying each other's company in silence. When they neared a concession stand, Rick spoke,

"You hungry?" he asked. Kate opened her mouth to answer, but the low grumbling in her stomach answered for her. He chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes."

As they got to the concession stand, Kate took out her wallet. Rick gave her a warning look, but Kate shook her head.

"Let me at least pay for this," she said. Rick chuckled a little at her stubbornness, but nodded. Both ordered a hot dog with the works. However, for some reason, Rick seemed to be surprised that Kate had ordered one.

"What?" she asked, swallowing. "It's just a hot dog."

"I know, but it's just that your mouth is small and the thing is kind of big..." Rick trailed off.

Kate an eyebrow. "Are you saying I can't handle it?"

He smirked at her, his eyes shining mischievously. "I don't know, can you?"

Kate snickered, the innuendo not lost on her. "I'll let you know." she winked at him, before speeding up her walk. She chuckled as he caught up and returned to her side. She could swear he muttered 'tease' under his breath, but she could have imagined it. Once they were done with their food, they threw the scraps in the trash, before exiting the park.

"So, what next? It's only four o'clock," Rick mused.

"Museum?" Kate said and Rick shook his head. "Eh, you're right, too mundane for today."

Kate began to think some more, but Rick seemed to have an idea, according to the elated expression on his face.

"Ooh, I know!" Rick exclaimed.

"What?" Kate asked, eyeing him warily. Something told her that him being excited could lead to trouble.

"You have a sweet tooth, right?"

Kate furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Uh, yes," she said, smiling in amusement. She did have a sweet tooth, but usually used her flavored coffee to restrain her cravings of anything sweet. "Why?"

Rick eyes then twinkled in excitement. "I know the perfect place we can go. Come on!" He began tugging her hand and leading her in the direction of whatever the place was.

"Wait," she laughed as he tugged her along. "Where are we going?"

Rick stopped, a child-like smile on his face. "It's a surprise. You'll love it, I promise."

"Okay, but can I please have my arm back?" Kate grumbled. Rick then gently let go of her hand. "Thank you."

"Okay, let's go," he said, walking faster.

Kate just sighed and rolled her eyes, following the writer's lead. As she did so, Kate began to wonder if she should fear what he had planned.

* * *

AN: The second part of the date is next. I wasn't able to look up the exhibits for the zoo, so I did the basic ones. Anyway, as always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	19. Chapter 18

AN: Sorry for the small wait. Anyway, thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. Thanks especially to theputz913 for giving me a hand with this chapter, and for putting up with me incessant questions and ramblings. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 18

"Dylan's Candy Bar?" Kate questioned as the couple stood in front of the store.

Rick smiled a little at the look of confusion on her face. He had had a feeling she had never heard about the place, and was more than happy to introduce it to her.

"It was featured on TV once, and Alexis and I decided to come and check it out. It's a pretty fun place to browse," he said as they entered the store. He chuckled a little as he saw the brunette's eyes widen at the sight in front of her. The shelves were filled an array of candy. In the middle, there was one long shelf that had containers inside it. Each container held different types of candy, such as gummy bears and rock candy. Near the window on the right side of the store was a miniature chocolate fountain on a table. In the front of them were two racks which contained the store's signature candy bar. "Well, let's explore!"

As the two began to look around, Rick could see a look of child-like glee appear on Kate's face. He smiled, thinking that she literally looked like a kid in a candy store. As Kate was looking at the rack filled with the store's candy bars, she wrinkled her nose.

"Okay, this was definitely created for a guy," she remarked, holding up a candy bar. Rick took a closer look, before he burst out laughing. "Who else would want to eat a bacon-flavored chocolate bar?"

"Not me," Rick replied, snickering. "I wonder if the owner came up with that."

Kate shrugged. "I guess it's supposed to be a treat for guys when they behave," she joked, eyeing Rick and smirking.

"I am not a dog; I do not take bacon-flavored bribes," Rick protested. "Only pure chocolate satisfies me."

Kate chuckled in response, before heading toward the chocolate fountain.

"Wow," she muttered, licking her lips at the sight of the flowing chocolate. Rick's eyes flickered towards her lips for a moment, before immediately snapping back to her eyes. He then grinned, since the fountain was one of his favorite parts of the store.

"You can practically cover anything in chocolate. Well, at least what they allow," Rick said excitedly.

"I haven't had a s'more in a long time," Kate remarked as she perused the list that contained various options next to the fountain.

"Well then, go ahead," Rick said. Kate frowned, and Rick immediately knew what she was thinking. "Don't worry about money. This is a date, it's my job to spoil you," he joked. In all honesty, Rick did not mind spoiling her at all. Money was no object, and it did not bother him if he spent a few dollars here or there. However, Rick knew that Kate probably wished to be independent when it came to spending money, preferring to spend the money herself.

"You sure?" Kate eyed him uncertainly. Rick nodded and gestured for her to go ahead, while he pulled out his wallet. Kate then proceeded to ask the attendant at the table for the ingredients. When she was done making the sweet sandwich, she took a bite. She chuckled as some of the chocolate dripped onto the napkin that was grasped in her hand.

"It's a bit messy," Rick chuckled as he watched the brunette wipe her mouth.

"But so good," Kate moaned, taking another bite. Rick swallowed at the sound, trying to expunge impure thoughts from his brain.

"Want to go downstairs?"

"There's a second floor?" Kate asked, surprised.

Rick nodded. "There's three floors in this store. Here, downstairs, and the top floor. Downstairs is just more candy, and upstairs is like a mini ice cream shop."

"This place has everything. Do you know who the owner is?" Kate asked as they began to walk down a set candy-patterned stairs.

"Apparently, Ralph Lauren's daughter, Dylan, is the owner," Rick responded.

"Well, she's definitely an astute woman for creating this place," Kate remarked.

"I agree." Rick turned to face her when they reached the bottom of the stairs. Noticing a speck of chocolate near her lips, Rick could not help but wipe it away with his thumb. Kate just smiled, which thrilled Rick. He could see that she was slowly getting more comfortable with him. The couple then headed to the back of the store, where the old-fashioned candy was located. In the same area was a television that played old candy commercials. They both laughed as a famous cartoon characters advertised a chocolate bar.

"I used to watch this show as a kid," Kate remarked as the characters on screen flew around on their spaceship.

"I didn't watch that much television as a kid," Rick admitted.

Kate looked at him, surprised. "Really? You seem to be the type that would have  
watched a show, and the try to reenact it."

"That would be correct." Rick chortled. "However, Mother traveled a lot due to her career. So, I was usually playing with the props backstage, making up my own stories."

"I bet the crew was thrilled with that."

"They actually loved it. I used to entertain them between scenes. I sometimes think that's why some of them put up with my mother's antics."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Sure," she said sarcastically, beginning to browse the shelf up against the wall. She grinned as she eyed the confections, and then picked up one. "My dad loves these. I'll get some for the next time I see him." Kate picked up a package of colorful dots on paper.

"They don't have a taste to them," Rick remarked.

Kate shrugged. "I know, I'm not a big fan of them either. Dad seems to love them though." Her eyes then lit up when she spotted another candy. "These are my mom's favorite," she remarked, picking up a box of Toblerone.

"Mmm, now those are good," Rick agreed. They couple continued to walk though the store, occasionally commenting on some of the items. They briefly looked at the counter that sold fudge, but decided to pass on buying anything. Also, Kate was amused by the shirts and other clothing items that had the store's brand name on them. When they reached the end of floor, Kate chuckled at the image in front of her.

"A bathtub full of gum balls?" she inquired, chuckling. A white bathtub filled to the brim with gum balls was in the corner of the room. A sign that said: 'Please do not touch.' hung above it.

"Yeah, it's a little odd, isn't it? I never can understand why it's here, but it is interesting to look at. Also, I may or may not have stolen a few gum balls from time to time." Rick winked at her. It was true, he would sometimes slip a gum ball in his pocket to eat for later.

Kate wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I wouldn't do that, you don't know how old they are."

Rick shrugged. "So far, nothing's happened. However, to reduce your fear, I won't take one, this time."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Okay, Writer-man, let's go pay for my stuff. Then, let's go upstairs," she said, beginning to walk toward the cashier.

"Wait, what did you just call me?" Rick asked.

"Writer-man," Kate replied. "Why? Would you prefer Writer-boy?" she teased.

"No, no. Writer-man is perfectly fine with me," Rick replied quickly.

"I thought so," Kate remarked before going to the cashier. After purchasing the items, the couple walked up to the third floor. The third floor did look similar,to an ice cream shop. There were tables and chairs in a small, open space. The food counter was a traditional granite top, with various treats on display.

"This is kind of nice," Kate remarked.

Rick nodded in agreement. "Unlike the rest of the store, this floor is fairly quiet. This is my favorite part of the store because of that." The area gave off a relaxing aurora, which was a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle below them.

Kate nodded in agreement. "It's a nice place to clear your head. Especially after all that sugar," she joked, before heading toward the counter. They quickly scanned the menu, looking at the tempting choices.

"Do you want anything?"

Kate shook her head. "As tempting as everything looks, I think I'll pass. We just ate, and I had the s'more. Maybe some other time though." Rick could not contain the grin that crossed his face as he delighted in the prospect of returning with Kate.

"Okay then, let's go." They walked downstairs and exited the shop. Rick glanced at his watch, which read five o'clock. Although Rick had run out of ideas for things to do, he did not want to leave Kate just yet. As if reading his mind, Kate said,

"Want to go back to my place and watch a movie? We can order in if we get hungry."

Rick grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Sounds good to me, lead the way."

Kate chuckled at his enthusiasm, before walking in the direction of her home.

* * *

Once they arrived at her apartment, Kate put her coat away.

"Make yourself at home, and pick out a movie from under the television," she said gesturing toward the mahogany cabinet her television sat on."Do you want anything to drink? Coffee, tea, water?"

"Coffee sounds good, thanks." Rick then searched her cabinet, looking for a DVD among her modest collection. After deciding on a romantic comedy, Rick settled himself into the couch and began to observe his surroundings. The apartment was tastefully decorated, with various knickknacks and furniture that seemed to match Kate's personality as far as he could tell. The one thing that caught his eye, though, was the painting that hung above the couch. It was unique, and visually appealing in a strange way. It was something about the way the colors swirled together that made it appealing. Rick searched for the initials of the artist, he was unable to find any.

"I've had that painting for years," Kate stated, returning with two mugs. She handed him one.

"It's interesting. Where did you get it?"

"There was an art sale downtown. I was looking for decorations to spice up my apartment, and I happened to pass by the place. It was the first thing that caught my eye, actually. I'm not really sure why, it just appealed to me for some reason."

"I feel the same way. I think it's just soothing."

Kate nodded in agreement. "So, what movie did you pick out?" Rick grinned and held up the DVD. "Good choice, I'm in the mood for something light tonight also." Once she popped in the movie, Kate sat down on the couch next to Rick. As the opening menu popped up, Rick's phone vibrated. He contemplated on not answering, but realized it might be something important.

"Sorry," he apologized to Kate as he opened his waved him off dismissively, gesturing for him to go ahead. He quickly read the text, chuckled, and put the phone away.

"What's so funny?" Kate asked, her curiosity obviously peaked.

"Nothing. Alexis is having her own day out with Meredith." Rick had to hold back a chuckle as Kate grimaced. "She texted me saying that she hopes I'm having more fun than she is. Which, I have a feeling I most definitely am," Rick finished, winking at Kate.

"I'm glad. So, movie?" Rick nodded and Kate pressed play. The two watched the movie in silence, laughing as Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock interacted with each other on-screen.

Occasionally, Rick would look at Kate, observing her. Her face looked relaxed, any sign of worry gone from her face as she laughed. Her eyes would light up, becoming bright green gems as they occasionally danced, following the actors on the screen. Rick liked seeing Kate like this, so relaxed and care-free. It gave her a certain type of glow, which appealed to Rick immensely. At one point though, she caught him staring. They locked eyes for a minute, before she turned back to the movie. However, Rick could see a faint blush on her cheeks.

All too soon the movie was over. As the end credits rolled, Rick looked at the clock on the box above the television set. It was a little after seven, and Rick knew he would have to leave. He sighed, before getting up from the couch.

"Well, I think it's time for me to go," he sighed. Kate frowned, clearly not wanting him to go either.

"Let me show you to the door," she replied, sighing. Once they were at the door, Rick spoke,

"I had great time today, Kate," he said, looking at her intensely.

"Me too, Rick," she responded softly, her eyes trained on his.

Rick could see there was an uncertainty in her eyes, similar to what he had seen in the café a few weeks before. She seemed to be having an internal battle with herself, about what, Rick was not sure. However, just like in the café, the uncertainty turned into determination. Before Rick could comprehend what was happening, Kate took his face in between her hands. She looked at him closely for a second, before placing her mouth on his. Rick was in shock for moment, feeling her tentative lips against his still ones. However, he recovered quickly and gently gripped her arms, pulling her closer to him. He then slowly moved his mouth against hers. Her lips were soft and smooth in texture. He moved his hands down to her waist, gently gripping her. She reacted to his movement by pressing her lips more forcefully against his to the point where he felt his back hit the door. He responded in kind, the movement of his lips becoming rougher.

When they both needed to breathe, Kate was the first one to break apart, resting her forehead against his. Both had silly grins on their faces, just looking at each other. Kate was the first to speak, saying,

"Goodnight, Rick," she said softly, opening the door. She continued to stare at him as he began to leave, a small smile on her face.

"Goodnight, Kate," he murmured, standing in the doorway. He gently lifted his hand and stroked the side of her face. He then waved goodbye and shut the door.

It took all of his will to not skip all the way home that night.

* * *

AN: So, there it is. I hope the kiss wasn't too much, please tell me if it was. I actually just edited it, so I hope I improved it a little. Also, the bacon-flavored chocolate bar does it exist. Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome.


	20. Chapter 19

AN: I'm really sorry for the delay. I usually aim to post once a week, due to school. Anyway, thank you to those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 19

Meredith held back a sigh as her daughter prattled on about some class she was taking in school. She nodded her head at what she thought were the appropriate times. She frowned, hoping that they were close to the loft. As much as she loved Alexis, the girl could be such a bore sometimes. She always seemed far too mature and sensible for her age. There did not seem any wild side to her, much to Meredith's disappointment. Meredith sometimes wondered where Alexis had gotten her personality. The former Castle knew that it was not from either her or Rick.

Despite her sometimes boring personality, Alexis was a great shopping companion. Meredith was grateful that Alexis had been blessed with Meredith's sense of style, and not her ex mother in-law's. Meredith internally cringed as she pictured the outlandish outfits the older woman wore. Thankfully, Alexis seemed to be more sensible than that.

Their mother-daughter day out had been pleasant. They had shopped for hours at several stores, each finding some item to buy. They then went to lunch at a little bistro near the loft. At the moment, they were headed back toward the loft, where Meredith planned to drop Alexis off. Meredith also hoped that she would be staying at the loft. In fact, she had placed a few bags in the spare room before she had left with Alexis earlier that day. The former Castle was sure that Rick was over what ever his issue was the other day concerning that other woman. What was her name again? Lily? Beth? Meredith frowned, and then rolled her eyes, figuring that it did not really matter. Her thoughts were broken off by Alexis' voice saying,

"So, I think I'll like the class, but I'm not sure," the teen stated uncertainly.

"That's nice, Sweetheart," Meredith replied as the doorman opened the door for them.

"Thank you, Thomas," Alexis said politely.

"Would you like me to help you with your bags, Miss Castle?" the doorman inquired.

Meredith was about to hand the bags to the man, but Alexis' voice stopped her.

"No, thank you, Thomas. We can handle it. Also, I've told you to call me Alexis. You've know me since I was a baby," Alexis teased.

"Yes, Alexis," the doorman responded, chuckling. "Have a nice day."

After returning the sentiment, the duo entered the elevator.

"Why didn't you let the doorman help us? He should have," Meredith stated, frowning at her daughter.

Alexis shrugged. "Why? We can handle the bags ourselves. Also, Dad and I know that Thomas has a lot of work to do, so why give him more?" It's unnecessary."

Meredith sighed. The one big difference between her and Rick was that Rick did not want to be constantly serviced by others, such as the doorman. She, on the other hand, always took every opportunity to have someone do things for her, such as carrying shopping bags. It was unfortunate that her ex-husband had raised their daughter to do the same as he did. In her opinion, Rick was just too polite sometimes.

When they entered the loft, Martha was there to greet them.

"Hello, dear," Martha greeted Alexis. "Meredith," she greeted in a cool tone. Meredith had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. The older red-head had never gotten over what Meredith had done to Rick and Alexis. The older woman was clearly did not understand that a person did what they had to do to survive in the acting industry. Only real actors like Meredith understood that.

"Martha," Meredith responded in the same tone.

Martha smiled cooly at her, before turning her attention back to Alexis.

"So, how was your day out?" she asked the teen.

"It was great!" Alexis exclaimed. "I actually bought a few new outfits."

"Oh, you'll have to model them for me later." Martha grinned.

"Lunch was delicious. Which reminds me, where's Dad?"

"Oh, he's probably still out on his date with Kate. I'm sure he'll be home soon," Martha said.

Meredith frowned at the new piece of information. Rick had gone on a date? She knew that she should not really care, but she could not help but feel a little jealous.

"A date?" she asked, a slight anger bubbling in her chest.

Alexis glanced at her and nodded. "Yeah, a date with Kate."

"Who's Kate?"

"Kate, the woman who was here the other day," Alexis said, an undercurrent of annoyance in her voice.

Meredith looked at the teen confused, and then realized who she was talking about.

"Oh, her," Meredith sniffed.

"Yes, her, the woman you insulted," Martha responded, scowling.

Meredith rolled her eyes. She did not understand what Rick saw in that woman. It was clear that from his protective attitude the other night that Rick felt something for the woman. However, Meredith could not see anything special about her. This Kate person was a nobody, hardly tabloid material. Meredith doubted that she would be able to handle the paparazzi when the time came. The icing on the cake was the physical flaw this woman had on her face. Meredith could tell she tried to hide it, but the texture of her skin was off. Meredith knew a few makeup tricks that could make that disappear. Not that she would ever tell this Kate person though. Meredith had a feeling that this woman would not last long anyway. She was not Rick's type, and Rick would soon grow bored of her, searching for someone more like him,

Meredith was about to voice her opinion of the woman, when the loft door opened. A smiling Rick entered the room, a giddy look on his face.

"Have a nice time, darling?" Martha teased.

"I think he did, Grams," Alexis responded playfully.

"I had a great time," Rick murmured, seeming slightly dazed. Meredith frowned as she watched the interaction. Her ex-husband had yet to notice her!

"Anything happen?" Martha inquired.

"She kissed me." A giant smile appeared on the author's face as he seemed to recall the mentioned event.

Meredith scowled as she felt the anger come to a boil.

"She kissed you?!" Meredith exclaimed.

Rick sat upright as soon as he heard her voice. "Meredith, what are you doing here?"

"I came to drop our daughter off. That's not the point. You let that woman kiss you?" Meredith's tone had turned venomous at this point.

Rick's expression formed into one of anger. "Yes, I let that woman kiss me," he hissed, glaring at Meredith. "I let that fantastic, incredible woman kiss me," he replied, putting an emphasis on the adjectives.

Meredith huffed in annoyance at the author's anger.

"She's no good for you, Kitten. She's a nobody; she'll only bring you down."

Rick clenched his teeth as he spoke. "That woman is special to me, Meredith. In fact, she has made me write more than I ever have."

Meredith scowled at his response. So, this new woman was his new muse?

"There doesn't seem much to write about."

Rick rolled his eyes. "You've only met her once, Meredith. If you actually got to know her, you would agree with me."

_Yeah, right_, Meredith thought to herself. She then asked with a sneer,

"What about the paparazzi? Do you really think she would be able to handle that? She can't even handle someone talking about that mark on her face."

"What you told her was uncalled for," Rick shot back.

Meredith shrugged. "The media will only be worse. It's better for her to have the reality check now than when you're all cuddly and close with her."

Rick shook his head. "I'm sure she'll be able to handle it. We already discussed that we'll care of it when we get to that point. Now, can you kindly leave my loft?"

Meredith frowned and was about to try to get support from Alexis. However, when she turned around, she saw that both Castle women were glaring at her.

"I think it's best if you go, Mom," Alexis said softly. "Go get your bags from upstairs."

Meredith sighed. It seemed that this woman had even managed to turn her daughter against her.

"You brought your bags here?" Rick asked incredulously. Meredith had to resist smirking. He had been out of the house when she came to pick Alexis up.

"I figured you had gotten over your issue from from the other day," Meredith grumbled. "I guess not." She turned on her heel and stalked up the staircase. When she got into the guest room, she began to angrily pack the small amount of items she had already unpacked.

Meredith knew Rick was making a mistake. That woman would only lead to trouble for his career and himself. His feelings for this Kate blinded him from seeing reason. As she packed, Meredith smirked. She would make him see reason, one way or another.

* * *

Kate sighed as she settled herself into the couch, phone against her ear. It was Sunday, and Kate needed to talk to her mom. Lanie would get the details of the previous day on Monday. However, Kate was in need of some motherly talk at the moment. Kate was usually independent when it came to making decisions regarding relationships. Except Kate knew her relationship with Rick was different, and she felt that she needed someone older, wiser to talk to. She had wanted to call her mother the day before, but the physical and emotional exertion from the day had exhausted the brunette.

"Hello Katie," her mother said once she picked up.

"Hey Mom, how'd you know it was me?"

"We finally got caller I.D. We kept on picking up too many sales calls, even after we blocked our number," Johanna said. "Anyway, how are you?"

"I'm fine. You?" Kate began to play with the hem of her shirt. The few times that her and her mother had spoken the previous week, Kate had avoided mentioning the topic of Rick and his book.

"I'm great. So, what's up?"

"I want to talk to you about something."

"Is everything okay, Katie?" Johanna asked, concerned.

"Everything's fine," Kate responded. "I just had a very busy week."

Johanna, sensing there was more to the story, pushed for details. "Why don't you just tell me everything?"

Kate nodded, even though her mother couldn't see it. The brunette then began to recount the details from the previous week, starting from her to encounter with Meredith to the date the previous day. Johanna was quiet the whole time, but Kate knew that she was listening intently.

"And then I kissed him," Kate finished. She smiled as she remembered the feeling of Rick's lips against hers. Also, the way he kissed back and the way they they had gotten a little aggressive with each other.

"You kissed him?" Johanna asked, surprise coloring her tone.

"Yes, Mom, I kissed him." Kate laughed, slightly giddy from the memory.

"I'm proud of you Katie," her mother replied. Johanna knew that Kate was usually hesitant in taking initiative when it came to relationships due to the multiple rejections she had faced. "Did your foot pop?" Johanna teased.

Kate laughed at the old movie reference. "My foot did more than pop."

Johanna groaned. "Okay, okay. I don't need to hear all the gory details." Both women laughed, but then Johanna grew quiet for a moment, before saying, "I am a little concerned though."

"About what?" Kate was nervous about Johanna approving of Rick. One sign of disapproval from her mother was usually the nail in the coffin when it came to relationships.

"You said that he is basing a character off of you," her mother said. "I'm just a little afraid that his intentions might not be as pure as they appear."

Kate sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I feared the same thing. However, his actions have proven that his intentions are pure. Rick even told me that if I had said no, he would still want to be with me."

"Are you sure he wasn't just feeding you a line?"

"I'm positive he wasn't. He's not that type of guy," Kate insisted. She was trying not to get annoyed, she knew her mother was only trying to look out for her.

"Okay," Johanna sighed. "What about what the tabloids say? Is there any truth in that?"

Kate scowled. "You know better than to pay attention to those things."

"I usually don't," Johanna said. "However, I've had a few clients where, unfortunately, the tabloids were not far off with their information."

"Yeah, no Rick's nothing like that." Kate frowned. "Apparently it was his agent's idea to do the playboy image. It's supposed to sell books. Which it does, of course," Kate chuckled a little.

"What about further down the road?" Johanna pressed. "Won't it bother you that he's signing women's chest and possibly other feminine items?"

"It probably will. However, as long as I know he's faithful and that I'm the only serious woman around, I can deal with it. It is part of his career. If it becomes too much, we'll talk. However, that's a bit far down the road."

"Maybe," Johanna murmured. "Have you showed him the-"

"No," Kate cut her off quickly. "Not yet, but I will. I'm just waiting for the right time.

"Katie," her mother warned.

"I'm not putting it off. I will show it to him, just not at the moment." After her encounter with Meredith, Kate was definitely not showing Rick the scar any time soon.

"Fine, I'll let it go, for now," Johanna stated. "So," she began.

"So what?"

"How good was he?" Johanna teased.

Kate laughed. "I thought you didn't want all the gory details?"

"Keep it G-rated."

"Well, like I said, I initiated the kiss. He then kissed me back, and moved his hands to my shoulders to pull me tighter to him. He then moved his hands to my waist, and then things started to escalate."

"Define escalate."

"His back may have hit the wall," Kate murmured, slightly embarrassed, even if she was used to sharing details with her mother.

Johanna started to laugh at Kate's remark. However, her laughter soon turned into a coughing fit. Her coughing lasted a few moments. Meanwhile, Kate was beginning to worry.

"Mom, are you okay?" Kate questioned, becoming slightly frantic. Her mother having a coughing fit was never a good sign.

"I'm fine, Katie," Johanna said, her voice slightly hoarse. "I'm still trying to get over a cold. It'll disappear in a few days."

"It doesn't sound like a cold," Kate said. "Is the cough productive?" She was ready to go through the list of questions that she had to ask whenever her mother got sick.

"I'm fine, dear. It's just a little productive, but it will go away."

"Fine, but go to the doctor if it gets worse." Kate knew that as smart as her mother was, the older Beckett would prolong going to the hospital as much as she could.

"I will," Johanna replied, sighing. "Anyway, I'm sure Rick enjoyed that little aggressive action."

Kate frowned a little at her mother's change of topic, but decided to humor her.

"I think he did. Although, I think he was still a little dazed when he left," Kate joked.

"We Beckett women tend to have that affect."

Kate laughed. "Okay, Mom. No gory details from you either."

"Okay, okay," Johanna relented. Suddenly there was beep on the phone. "Oh, that's the office. I need to go, sweetheart."

"Bye Mom. Go to the doctor," Kate said, before hanging up. She sighed, she really did want to strangle her mother sometimes. She then shook her head and got up to prepare a dinner of leftovers for herself.

* * *

AN: Don't worry, I'm not going to drag the Meredith thing out. Also, I know she's OOC, since she wasn't as vicious on the show as I made her out to be. Sorry, if this chapter was a little dull. Anyway, the next chapter might be a while since I have to study for midterms this week and I'm going away for a few days next week. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	21. Chapter 20

AN: Wow, twenty chapters already! This is longest thing I have ever written on here. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me through this whole story so far, and I hope you continue to enjoy it. Again, sorry for the delay, school has kept me busy, and I got a bit stuck on this chapter. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 20

Kate leaned back in her chair at her desk, wearing a slightly amused expression. It was Thursday, and she and Lanie were sitting in the brunette's classroom, where the science teacher was having miniature panic attack.

"Calm down, Lanie. I'm sure it won't be that bad," Kate remarked.

"But he wants me to meet his parents!" Lanie exclaimed.

Lanie had just told Kate that Javier's mother had invited Lanie and Javier over for dinner the following Saturday.

"Isn't that a good sign?" Kate asked,

"No," Lanie groaned. "It's a test to see if I'm good enough for him."

"Are you sure you're not over-thinking this?"

"Maybe I am. It's just that," Lanie started, tugging at a strand of her hair.

"Just what?" Kate raised an eyebrow, waiting for more.

"I've never done this before. I've never gotten far enough into a relationship where I need to meet the parents."

"Well, are you serious about your relationship?"

Lanie glared and scowled. "Yes, of course!" she huffed.

Kate shrugged. "Then you shouldn't have a problem. Just answer whatever questions the parents have and play it cool. I'm sure it will turn out fine."

Lanie sighed and nodded. "Have you ever done one of these meet the parents things?"

Kate nodded. "Only once though. I have to admit, I was a little nervous myself when I did it."

"How did it turn out?" Lanie asked curiously.

Kate shrugged. "It was okay. His parents were nice people," she said vaguely. James' mother had been friendly, kind even. She and Kate had began to get close. However, it was moot point, since James broke up with her two months later

"Okay?" Lanie raised an eyebrow.

"We broke up two months later," Kate explained. Lanie's lips pursued in worry. "Not because of his parents, though," she continued quickly.

"Things didn't work out between you two?"

"I, uh, wasn't what he was looking for," Kate grumbled, looking at her hands.

Lanie seeming to understand, wrinkled her nose in disgust. "How can anyone be so shallow," she muttered, shaking her head. "Well, at least you have Rick now." She grinned.

Kate chuckled softly. "Yeah, I do."

"Speaking of which, how's it going with him?"

Kate grinned. "Great! We went on a date on Saturday. We went to the zoo and Dylan's Candy Bar. It's quite a fun shop," Kate mused, thinking back to the date.

"That's sounds nice," Lanie said, grinning. "I'm guessing the zoo is where your little friend came from?" She gestured to the tiny, stuffed panda on Kate's desk.

"Yep. Rick claimed that it was to make up for the panda exhibit being closed." She rolled her eyes, but smiled. "It was a nice gesture anyway." Kate kept the panda on her desk to remind of Rick. Normally, she would not do such a thing, but she felt herself smiling every time she looked at the tiny animal.

"So, anything else happen on this date?" Lanie teased.

"Uh, yes," Kate murmured, blushing a little.

"Oh, do tell!"

"Well, after we watched a movie at my place," Kate started. "We were saying goodbye and... I kissed him."

"Nice Girl! So, how was it?" Lanie asked excitedly.

"It was good." Kate let a coy smile form on her face.

"Just good?"

"Okay, okay," Kate laughed. "It was fantastic, amazing, mind-blowing." Kate rolled her eyes and then her face became serious. "It really was fantastic. It also felt, well, right. I haven't really felt that with any other guy before." It was true, she never even felt that with James, her longest boyfriend.

"I'm happy for you, Girl. So, when do you plan on moving it forward and testing that chemistry?" The science teacher waggled her eyebrows.

Kate rolled her eyes and smirked. "Not for a while. We haven't even gone on a second date yet." However, it was not like Kate had not had fantasies. For the past few days, she had imagined what it would be like if Rick slipped his hands below her waist, his firm hands grabbing her ass while kissing her in the same fashion as he had on Saturday. She would wrap her legs around his waist as he-

"When do you plan on doing so?" Lanie asked, interrupting her friend's fantasy.

Kate had to keep from blushing as she tried to erase the images from her mind. She then shrugged, saying, "Not really sure. We have been texting back and forth since the date, but the topic hasn't come up." She smiled as she recalled some of the conversations they had.

Since Saturday, Kate and Rick had been texting each other at night. It was usually filled with banter and endlessly teasing on both ends. Rick would occasionally text her when he was bored or was unable to write. Kate usually texted to him to see how he was, and occasionally tease him about his supposed writer's block. Rick did admit once that he was just looking for an excuse to talk to her. They would talk verbally, but most of their conversations were done through texting. Kate found herself looking forward to the conversations during the day. That was not to say that she waited by her phone, but she would get excited when Rick called. She was sure that the author felt the same way.

"Well, push for a second date," Lanie insisted, bringing the brunette out of her reverie. "My suggestion would be something more private and intimate. Something that would make you two get closer."

Kate nodded. "I was thinking that too. In fact, I was thinking of this nice restaurant called-" she started, but was stopped by a knock on the doorframe.

Both women turned to see Daniel casually leaning against the doorframe, a slight smirk on his face. Kate's smile tightened once she saw him. Since the incident in the English office, he had kept his distance. Besides the occasionally hello or question, he had kept their relationship professional, never going after her again. Kate was hoping it would stay that way.

"Do you need something Daniel?" Kate asked politely.

"Yes," he stated stepping into the classroom. Kate did not miss the way his eyes attempted to discreetly travel over the upper part of her body. Kate cleared her throat, causing his eyes to snap to her face. "I need to speak with you," he started, and then glanced at Lanie. "In private."

"I'm sure whatever you need say can be said in front of everybody here," Kate said cooly.

"I don't think so," Daniel stated simply.

Lanie waved a dismissive hand. "It's cool. I need to go grade some papers anyway." As she left the room, she cast Daniel a warning look. Once she was out of earshot, Daniel turned back to Kate, smirking.

"Well Miss Beckett, it seems I have a bone to pick with you."

* * *

Later that same day, Rick held back a sigh of relief as he watched Meredith kiss Alexis on the forehead.

"Goodbye, Sweetie," she said picking up her bags that were placed by the door. "I wish I could stay longer. However, there doesn't seem to be any jobs."

Rick held back a snort, wondering how much of that statement was true.

"It's okay, Mom." Alexis smiled. "Go dazzle the people in L.A."

"I'm glad you understand." Meredith smiled. "Goodbye, Ricky. It really was an interesting visit."

Rick just nodded, plastering a smile on his face. "Yes, it was."

_Now please leave_, he thought to himself.

"I'll call you," Meredith said, opening the door.

"Okay, Mom," Alexis stated, knowing her mother would not call.

"Bye," Meredith said blowing Alexis a kiss, before exiting the loft and shutting the door behind her.

All three Castles sighed in relief. Martha, who had surprisingly stayed quiet the last few minutes, spoke.

"Finally, that she-devil is gone."

Normally, Rick would have scolded his mother. However, he had to agree with her on that point, especially with this visit. Whatever damage he was sure Meredith had intended to inflict on him and Kate's relationship had obviously fallen flat. He and Kate were perfectly at ease with one another, and nothing Meredith could do would destroy that.

"Even I have to agree with Gram on this one," Alexis muttered, running a hand through her hair. "I know she can be mean, but this time she was just outright vicious." The teen shook her head, clearly disappointed in her mother.

"Well, how did she seem this morning?" Rick asked. Meredith had volunteered to drop Alexis off at school earlier that morning. She claimed that she wanted one last bit of mother-daughter bonding time before the actress left. Rick had briefly considered telling Meredith no, afraid that she would try to harass Kate.

Alexis shrugged. "She seemed fine. Although, there was one thing that was a little weird. Well, maybe not that weird," Alexis mused.

"What was it, Dear?" Martha asked, confused.

"When I was walking to class from my locker, she was still there. She was talking to Mr. Lacosta, the head of the English department," she explained. Rick nodded, remembering the man from a few meet-the-teacher nights. "She seemed to be getting kind of cozy with him." Alexis then shrugged. "I don't know, I was probably reading too much into it. He does have a reputation for chasing female population of the faculty. They don't think we know this, but students hear things too." Alexis rolled her eyes at the naïvety of some teachers.

"He does what?" Rick almost growled.

Alexis waved her hand dismissively. "Relax, Dad. I highly doubt that Kate would respond to his advances."

"It's not her I'm worried about," Rick grumbled. He doubted that Kate would cheat on him. However, she was a beautiful woman, and he was sure that this Mr. Lacosta had tried make some moves on her. Rick was sure that it was probably more than once too, given the man's supposed reputation.

"He's usually pretty self-contained during school. However, I don't know what goes on behind the scenes," Alexis remarked.

"I'm sure Kate pushed him away, Dear." Martha said, taking a sip from the wine glass in her hand. "I wouldn't be surprised if she made sure she got her message across if he did not get it through his thick skull the first time."

Rick nodded and smiled. Kate could be feisty, and it would not surprise him if she got a little aggressive in her rejection. His mind then started to wander, wondering if she took that aggression to the bedroom. He then shook his head, remembering that his mother and daughter were in the room. A moment later, the Castles were surprised to hear a knock at the door. Knowing that they were not expecting anyone, Rick opened the door, confused. He was surprised to see Kate standing on the other side of the door.

"Hello, Kate," he said happily.  
However, when he examined her face, he realized that something was not right. Her face held a worried expression, but there was also determination in her eyes. Then, she spoke.

"We need to talk."

* * *

AN: I know this is more of a filler chapter. The good stuff is coming soon. On the bright side, I took the car out for the first time today and I survived! Anyway, as always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	22. Chapter 21

AN: Please read this before moving on. Okay I just want to address something really quick, since it was mentioned in a review. Also, I asked around and some readers gave me an answer. I just want to remind everyone that after the preface, the whole story is a flashback up to that leads up to that point. I'm not going to do a throw back chapter since it would ruin the flow of the story. Anyway, thanks for following, favoriting and reviewing this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 21

"So, what exactly did he tell you?" Rick asked.

Kate and Rick were sitting next to each other on his couch in the living room. Martha and Alexis had slipped away quietly, wanting to give the couple privacy. Kate had just told Rick that Daniel had spoken to her earlier that day, warning her.

"He told me that dating you would be a conflict of interest," she grumbled bitterly. The brunette sighed, running a hand through her hair as she remembered The earlier conversation.

_-earlier that day-_

_"Well Miss Beckett, it seems I have a bone to pick with you," Daniel said, smirking._

_"What exactly would that be?" Kate asked calmly._

_Daniel walked over to the her desk, standing beside it._

_"A little birdy told me that you are dating," he said, grabbing the panda off her desk. He began tossing it back and forth casually as he spoke._

_"So what if I am? I don't see how that's any of your business," Kate stated cooly, eyeing the stuffed animal. She resisted the urge to snag it out of his hands._

_"It is my business when it turns out the person you're dating is the parent of a student," he stated simply, smirking._

_Kate frowned. "And how do you know that's true?_

_Daniel chuckled. "The little birdy was the student's mother."_

_Kate wanted to groan. She should have known that Meredith had something to do with this._

_"As far as I know, it's not against the rules," she pointed out._

_Daniel shrugged indifferently. "That may be so, but it could be seen as a conflict of interest."_

_Kate scowled, recalling that her mother had said the same thing. "And why would that be?" she asked, looking for a flaw in his reasoning._

_"Well, the teacher could favor the student, giving them a higher grade through a simple 'miscalculation'. Also, they could give them special treatment," Daniel explained. He was still tossing the panda around._

_"Alexis is a bright child, she does not need help." Kate decided to get to the point. "Besides, I would never do something like that."_

_Daniel shrugged. "No one would know that, especially the principal." He smirked, a threatening undertone in his statement._

_"What are you implying?" Kate demanded. In the process, she retrieved the animal that Daniel had dropped, holding it in between her hands tightly._

_"Well, if this were to go up to the principal, your job would be called into question. You would be scrutinized daily."_

_"And if it doesn't?" Kate asked, eyeing him._

_"Your job will be safe. However, as department head, I am under obligation to tell the principal of any concerns about the teachers." A Cheshire like grin spread across his face._

_"So, you're telling me I need to break it off with Rick," she muttered._

_"Your words, not mine."_

_Kate leaned back in her chair and sighed. She wanted to throw something. Just when she started to find happiness, this happens. She was quiet for a few moments, thinking. As she thought, a plan formed in her head, and she had to keep herself from smiling._

_"Fine, I'll break it off with him." She made her tone sound as if she was defeated. She even sagged her shoulders for effect._

_Daniel chuckled. "Good, I knew you would do the right thing. Well, I have to teach in a few minutes, so bye." He gave her another smirk, before leaving the classroom._

_Kate smirked in the direction the man had gone, releasing the vice grip she had on the stuffed animal. She knew she needed to talk to Rick as soon as possible._

_-end flashback-_

"Wait, so are you breaking it off with me, or not?" Rick asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Kate chuckled lightly, taking his hand in hers.

"No, I'm not." She shook her head. "We just need to make it look like we did. In the meantime, we'll keep our relationship under the radar."

Rick nodded in agreement. "We can still use our phones to talk to each other."

Kate smiled. "Also, the school is in need of some chaperones for some of the events coming up soon," she said, playing with buttons of his shirt. Her eyes danced with mischief.

"I like the way your devious mind works," Rick joked. "So, we just can't be seen together outside of school."

Kate nodded. "Exactly. I don't want to give up what we have just because of some threat," she murmured softly, looking at him straight in the eyes.

Rick grinned. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For fighting for this, for us. It shows me that you are willing to give us a try."

Kate chuckled. She was actually a little surprised herself at how hard she was fighting for their relationship. Normally, she would have heeded Daniel's advice and actually broken it off with Rick. However, Rick was different, and she knew she felt something for him, something strong. So, she was going to push on with the relationship, regardless of what people thought.

"You're welcome. Although, I thought Saturday would be enough to show you that I'm committed," she teased.

"Mmm yes," Rick murmured. "I would not mind if you showed me how committed you are again." His eyes then flickered to her lips, his own eyes darkening with desire. As they were talking, they had both leaned in closer.

"Wish granted," she whispered. She then brushed her lips softly against his.

Suddenly, Rick wound his fingers into her soft, brown locks, pulling her closer to him. He moved his lips gently against hers, before running his tongue along her bottom lip. Kate let out a slight moan at the feeling, before grabbing his neck with her hand and crushing his lips back to hers. She then felt his hand on her waist, exposing a bit of flesh and began rubbing it with his finger. Kate felt warmth spread through her body at the action, and she craved more of his touch. Rick then moved his lips to her neck, placing soft kisses along it.

"Mmm," Kate moaned softly, closing her eyes. She then began to undo the top button of his shirt, when she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. Kate's eyes shot open, and Rick quickly stopped kissing her, but he did not distance himself.

"I'm guessing you guys are not breaking it off?" Alexis teased, raising an eyebrow. Kate sat up, feeling warmth in her cheeks as the brunette straightened her shirt.

"No, we're not," Kate answered, trying to maintain some integrity and regulate her breathing.

"However, we do need to keep it on the down low," Rick explained, linking his hand with hers.

A look of relief crossed Alexis' face. "I'm glad. I was afraid that's what you were here for." She glanced at Kate nervously.

The brunette shook her head. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," she chuckled. She felt Rick squeeze her hand, causing her to smile a little.

"So, what happens now?" Martha asked curiously.

Kate shrugged. "We just don't see each other outside of school events, unfortunately."

"Guess it's going to be a while before our second date," Rick grumbled, pouting.

Kate chuckled. "The spring fling is coming up next month."

Rick nodded, smiling. "I guess I'll volunteer for that. However it's not the same as a date."

Kate sighed. "I know, I know. Spring break will be starting in a few weeks, so maybe we can do something then."

"Sounds like a plan," Rick hummed in agreement.

"This really is annoying though," Martha stated. "The fact that you two have to go through so much trouble just to be together." The red-head shook her head in dismay.

"Yeah, it doesn't really seem fair," Alexis stated, frowning.

"But it will be worth it in the end," Kate stated, squeezing Rick's hand.

"Well, before we start being 'not' together, would like to stay for dinner?" Rick asked Kate turned to face him and saw that he was giving her puppy dog eyes.

"Okay, I will," she chuckled. She then looked at Martha and Alexis. "As long as it's okay with you guys."

Alexis nodded and Martha spoke of course. "It's always fine with us, Darling."

"Can I help?"

"You can cook?" Rick asked, slightly surprised.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Yes, I can cook. I don't usually cook anything fancy since it's just me, but I can cook."

Rick held his hands up in defense. "Just asking."

Kate chuckled. "Okay, good. So, what are we having, Writer Man?"

* * *

AN: Okay, it's a bit of a filler. The next few chapters will be interesting though, Ii promise. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	23. Chapter 22

Wow! Over two hundred alerts for this story! Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 22

The next two weeks went by quickly. Most of it was filled with routine tests, quizzes, and homework for Kate. Everything seemed to be quiet, and Daniel was buying the charade. Kate pretended to be slightly irritable for a few days, in order to play up that she and Rick had broken it off. The only people in the school who knew the truth were Lanie, who Kate told in quiet confidence, and Alexis. Lanie was good about being quiet, and the two friends kept the girl talk focused on Lanie's love life. Kate and Rick kept up the phone calls and texts as they had before the charade started. They texted back and forth at the end of each day. However, Rick would occasionally text Kate during work. Usually, Kate would wait until after work to reply to him.

It was now the first day in April and Kate walked into school, slightly more alert than normal. She knew it was April Fool's Day, and that could mean trouble. The worst her second graders did was usually switch desks, or the occasionally whoopee cushion. However, Kate knew teenagers could be worse. As she walked to her classroom, she saw a seemingly frantic Lanie walk towards her

"What's up?" Kate asked the science teacher curiously.

"Whatever you do, be careful where you sit and open your desk drawers slowly. Oh, and don't use the bathroom on the second floor. The toilets have been wrapped in plastic wrap," Lanie explained quickly.

"I know it's April Fool's Day, but are the students that bad?" Kate asked in disbelief.

Lanie shook her head. "Oh, it's not because it's April Fool's Day. If it was just that, I wouldn't be worrying. However, it is also Senior Prank Day."

"Senior Prank Day?" Kate had not overheard anything in the students' conversations about it.

"It's a thing created by the seniors. It's a tradition, something the administration is not fond of repeating each year. Most of the senior's pranks are hilarious, but some of them can get nasty," Lanie explained. "They're usually tight-lipped about, in order to out wit the faculty."

Kate chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the warning, I'll be sure to stay alert."

Lanie nodded. "Well, I need to get to homeroom. Stay alert!"

Kate laughed as her friend walked away. As she walked up the staircase to her classroom, Kate saw evidence of the senior's pranks everywhere. Desks lined the walls outside of streamers had been strung up on the ceiling. As she passed some the rooms, Kate could see that 'You have been pranked" had been written on some of the boards.

Taking Lanie's advice, Kate carefully opened the door to her classroom. She half expected a bucket to fall on her head, but was glad that there was none. The brunette carefully looked around the room, looking for possible pranks. She relaxed a little when she saw that her room had not fallen victim to the pranks. For the rest of homeroom, Kate finished grading a pile of tests that she had given to her freshman class. Before she knew it, announcements were over and the bell rang for first period.

As the students filed in, the teacher could hear them grumbling about being pranked. Apparently, seniors had stuck various items in the locker's of the students in each grade. It seemed that some the items were inappropriate for school, such as condoms. Kate internally grimaced at the thought, trying to figure out what the hell the seniors were thinking. Once everyone settled down, Kate started the lesson. During the lesson, she noticed that one girl, Brenda, looked slightly upset. The brunette continued teaching, making a note to ask the girl if she was okay after class. Once the lesson was over and the students started leaving the room, Kate was about to call Brenda over to her desk, but stopped when she saw Alexis go and talk to the girl. They spoke in low murmurs for a few moments, when Kate decided to speak up.

"Is everything okay, girls?" The brunette asked in a concerned tone.

Brenda started to nod, but then shook her head. Meanwhile, Alexis sighed and said,

"Some of the seniors stuck parenting brochures and birth control pills in her locker." Alexis shook her head in dismay.

"Why?"

"Because someone started a rumor that I'm pregnant," Brenda grumbled. "It's not true; I didn't even sleep with Tommy."

Kate frowned. "Do you want me to take it up with the principal?" she asked gently, surmising that she would get a no. She guessed right as Brenda shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I'm not the first this has happened to. I'll just deal with it."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked her, examining the sophomore.

"Yeah, you should at least talk to your guidance counselor," Alexis insisted. Again, Brenda shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I'll just suck it up and deal with it. I know the rumors will stop at some point," she grumbled. "Thanks anyway. I need to get to class." The girl sighed before walking out of the classroom, leaving Alexis and Kate standing there.

"I really think I should report that to administration," Kate thought aloud.

Alexis shook her head and said, "Don't worry, the seniors will get what's coming to them. They usually get punished for the things they do on Senior Prank Day. The punishments are usually pretty heavy too. However, I will sit with her at lunch today."

Kate nodded, satisfied that there would at least be some sort of retribution.

"Why do they do it if they know they'll be punished?"

Alexis shrugged. "For the thrill, I guess. It's apparently supposed to be worth it." The teenager rolled her eyes. "I know I'm not getting involved in that when I'm a senior."

Kate smiled. "I'm glad."

"I'm sure Dad will be disappointed though," the red-head replied, laughing. Suddenly, Alexis lowered her voice. "Speaking of Dad, I wanted to ask you something."

"Alexis," Kate said in a warning tone.

"I know, I know," Alexis replied, sighing. "nothing in school. However, today is his birthday and I wanted to ask you if you could come to dinner tonight to celebrate. Please?"

"Today is his birthday?" Kate asked, feeling slightly embarrassed. She had known the man for two months and she did not know his birthday. Granted, he did not know hers either, but still.

"Yep." Alexis grinned. "April Fool's Day. Funny, huh?"

Kate chuckled. "Why am I not surprised?"

Alexis nodded in agreement. "So, can you come to dinner, please?" Alexis put on her best puppy dog face. Kate cursed herself for falling for being unable to resist the Castle family charm.

"Okay, I'll come. Wait, doesn't he have a meeting today with Gina?"

"Yeah, I figured it would be nice to surprise him with you at the loft."

Kate smiled and then thought for a moment. "Can I cook dinner?"

Alexis looked at her, surprised. "Are you sure? I mean, you're a great cook, but it might be late."

Kate waved a dismissive hand. "It's fine. I can make something simple, but good. So, should I come about an hour after school ends? It will give me enough time to buy the ingredients I need."

Alexis nodded. "That sounds good." The red-head then grinned. "Dad will be thrilled. Well, see you then." She said, before walking out of the classroom.

"Bye," Kate called, before turning back to her desk.

As she stared at her desk, Kate bit her lip and scrunched her eyebrows in thought. It was Rick's birthday, which meant that she should get him a present. However, Kate had no clue what to get the man who practically had everything. She sighed and began to grade the paper in front of her. She would think of gift ideas as the day went on, she promised herself.

* * *

Rick sighed as he arrived at his building. He had spent a majority of the day with Gina, hashing out the details about when the book would be released. Rick knew he was nearing the end of the book. The only thing he had still not done was come up with a title. His brain had conjured up a few ideas, but none of them seemed to fit with what he wanted.

The meeting had been long and tedious, and it was not the way Rick had wanted to spend his birthday. He had wanted to have a quiet family meal and receive presents, of course! Instead, he got to sit with Gina and listen to her drone on about how he needed to come up with a book title soon and that she wanted the final manuscript. For good measure, she had thrown in that she wanted the final manuscript in three weeks! Thankfully, at the speed Rick was writing, he was hoping that he could manage to meet Gina's deadline. Rick smiled to himself as he thought of a certain brunette beauty that inspired him to write. The daily texts and calls back and forth sometimes helped him come up with a new idea for the book. He often found himself going back to his laptop to write when he finished his conversations with Kate.

Planning to help Alexis with dinner as soon as he entered, Rick opened the loft door. The sight that greeted him when he entered both surprised and delighted him. Standing in his kitchen was Kate, who was wearing ear buds, and apparently stirring something in a pot. He sniffed the air, and smiled. Whatever she was cooking smelled fantastic. Rick then turned his attention back to Kate. She was swaying her hips and humming along to whatever music she was listening to. Rick's eyes ogled her hips for a moment, before he snuck up behind her. He gently put his hands on her waist, while also giving her a quick kiss on her neck. Kate let out a yelp of surprise.

"Hello," he said, grinning after she had taken out her ear buds.

"You scared me!" She exclaimed.

"I see that," he teased, chuckling. "So, what's all this?" He gestured to the various ingredients that were spread out on the counter.

"This is your dinner, Birthday Boy," Kate replied, before opening the oven.

Rick groaned. "Who told you?"

"Alexis," she replied. "She told me it was birthday and wanted me to come to dinner." Kate then flipped over what seemed to be a steak.

"I figured," Rick grumbled.

"What's the problem, Old Man?" Kate teased.

"Old Man? My stamina says otherwise," he said suggestively.

"Oh really?" Kate smirked.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Rick smirked. "Anyway, thank you for doing this, it's a nice surprise and it smells fantastic."

Kate laughed. "You're welcome."

"Now, since you know mine, it's only fair that you share when your birthday is."

"November seventeenth," Kate replied, before checking the meat again.

"So, I still have a few months." Rick then looked around the loft. "Where are Mother and Alexis?"

"Alexis is upstairs doing her homework. She was helping me for a bit, before I shooed her away. I told her that homework comes first."

Rick pouted. "I see that you're going to be the responsible one in the relationship."

"Well, someone has to give her some guidance," Kate teased. "As for your mother," Kate started furrowing her eyebrows in thought. "She's somewhere in the loft, I think."

"She's like a ghost," Rick joked. "So, what are you cooking?"

"Steak with stuffed, baked potato and mixed vegetables."

"Trying to kill me on my birthday with a heart attack?"

"Haha," Kate mocked. "How do you like your steak?"

"Medium rare. Although, I don't mind it a little pink," he purred in her ear. He gave her ass a gentle squeeze.

"Really? That's the best you have, Writer Man?"

Rick smirked. "Oh, I can do much better, Miss Beckett. You just need to let me show you."

"Maybe some day," Kate said, pulling out the stuffed, baked potatoes from the oven. "For now though, let's enjoy some dinner. It will be ready in a few minutes. Wine?"

"Please," Rick sighed as Kate handed him glass.

"So, how did your meeting with Gina go?"

Rick shrugged. "Okay, tedious at most. She enjoyed berating me for not coming up with a title yet. She also decided to give me a deadline that's in three weeks."

Kate frowned. "Do you think you can get it done? I mean, I'm sure you can, but three weeks seems kind of tight."

Rick shrugged. "I'm sure I'll manage. I have someone who inspires me." He looked into her eyes and smiled gently at her. Kate smiled a little, a slight blush forming on her cheeks. She then turned her attention back to the stove.

"Dinner's just about ready. Why don't you call Martha and Alexis down?"

Rick nodded and did as Kate directed. A few minutes later, Alexis came bounding down the stairs, with Martha on her heels.

"Kate, dear, that smells delicious!" The elder red-head exclaimed.

"Thanks, I hope you like it."

The four then sat down for dinner. The conversation mainly consisted of Kate catching up on what Alexis and Martha had been doing, since she only talked to Rick. There was some playful teasing between Kate and Rick, which amused the two female Castles to no end.

"You two tease each other like a married couple," Martha stated carelessly. However, her statement caused Kate to cough and Rick to almost choke on his drink. "What? It's just a little statement. Besides, the way you two look at each other, you would think you were married." Martha chuckled, before taking a sip from her glass.

"Let's go on a second and several more dates before we discuss that," Kate said. Rick nodded in agreement. However, Rick was not opposed to the idea of marrying Kate. He then internally berated himself for rushing things. Thankfully, Alexis interrupted his thoughts.

"So, who wants cake?" Alexis asked, getting up from the table.

"Oh, me!" Rick exclaimed. He grinned as Kate laughed at his eagerness. He enjoyed making her laugh and smile, it brightened his own day when he did. Just the fact that she was here with him made his day better. He was pretty sure she felt the same way. "So, what flavor did you get?"

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Chocolate, of course." She placed the tray that contained the cake on top of the table. The cake was indeed chocolate. The cake was decorated with chocolate icing with blue flowers made of frosting scattered all around the cake. The writing on the cake read: 'Happy Birthday Dad!' in blue icing.

Kate licked her lips and Rick stared at them for a moment. "Looks delicious," she said. Rick agreed, but his thoughts were not on the cake.

"I agree, so let's dig in!" Martha exclaimed, before handing her plate to Alexis.

* * *

"Open mine first, Richard," Martha said.

It was after dinner, and Kate and the three Castles were sitting in the living room. Rick was opening up his birthday presents and he had just begun to open them. Rick grinned as his mother handed him a package. He could always rely on his mother to get something strange or unique. Sure enough, when Rick opened the package, he saw what looked like a button. It was green with white writing that said 'Press me'. Not seeing any harm, Rick did as the item said. However, he regretted it the minute the button let out a loud piercing shout that said 'Keep Writing!'

"Er, thank you, Mother," he said, giving her a smile.

"I figured it might give you some motivation when you get writer's block. That and it might decrease the amount of phone calls from Gina," Martha sighed dramatically.

Rick chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind," he replied dryly.

"Here you go, Dad." Alexis handed him a large package wrapped in red paper.

"Ooh, what is it?" Rick shook the box.

Kate laughed beside him. "Well, open it and you'll find out."

Rick gave her a playful glare, before ripping off the paper. Rick practically jumping down in his seat when he saw what the present was.

"Really?"

Alexis laughed. "Yes, really. It's the newest model of laser-tag guns. It's supposed to have farther shooting range and you can change the sound it makes when you shoot someone. There's also some other new features."

"Thank you! I can't wait to use this on you later!"

Kate chuckled. "I'll be right back, I need to go to the bathroom. Don't use that thing while I'm gone; you might break something."

"Yes, I actually need to go use the powder room myself," Martha announced. The two women then headed upstairs.

"This is great," Rick said, opening up the box.

"There's actually two in there. I figured Kate could use one of the other ones," Alexis explained, chuckling.

"Do you think she would go for that?" Rick asked curiously. He would definitely be up for a laser-tag game with Kate, both with and against her.

"I think so." Alexis then smirked. "Also, I need someone to help me out number you."

"Going against your own father!" Rick exclaimed, feigning hurt.

Alexis laughed. "Hey, who knows? She might team up with you instead."

"I'm sure I could bribe her in some way," Rick joked. As they talked, Rick noticed that his mother and Kate had been gone for a while.

"Where are they?" he asked. Alexis just shrugged in response. A second later however, Martha walked down the stairs alone.

"Where's Kate?" the author asked, concerned.

"Richard, darling, you need to go into your office," Martha said softly.

"Why?"

"Kate asked me to tell you that," Martha replied simply. "She'll be down in a few minutes. Just do what she said, okay?"

Rick nodded, although he was confused. What had happened upstairs that had changed his mother's mood so severely?

Rick went into his office and shut the door. He began to pace the room nervously. What was it that Kate wanted that she obviously needed to talk to him in private? Rick stopped pacing for a minute, and forced himself to calm down. He needed to stop thinking of the worst case scenario. Rick then leaned against his desk, patiently waiting for Kate. However, his fingers tapped against the desk anxiously. A few moments later, his patience was rewarded. The door to his study opened a crack and Rick stood up.

"Kate?" he called out.

"Give me a minute, Rick," she replied softly.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I think, I guess," she murmured, sounding nervous.

"You don't sound okay."

"Sorry, it's just that I didn't know what to give you for your birthday. I mean, it's kind of hard to buy for the man who has everything," she joked, still behind the door.

"You don't need to get me anything," Rick insisted. It was true. The fact that she was here with him was enough for him.

"I want to," Kate replied. "So, I was thinking all day about what to get you, and couldn't come up with anything. However, I finally came up with something."

"What? Did you sneak a Victoria's Secret bag into the bathroom?" Rick joked, trying to lighten the tension. However, he immediately regretted it as he started picturing her in red lingerie. He swallowed and shook his head to clear his brain of the image.

"Rick," she warned.

"Sorry," he murmured.

"Anyway, I finally came up with something. I decided it's finally to time for you to know."

"Know what?"

Instead of responding, Kate opened the door fully. She stepped inside, closing the door, her back still facing him so that her face was still hidden. The first thing Rick noticed was that Kate had pulled her flowing hair into a ponytail. As she turned around, she spoke,

"How I got this," she whispered softly, fully facing him now. It was then that Rick understood what she was talking about. As Rick saw her full face, his eyes were drawn to the right side of her face. All traces of make up had been wiped clean from her face.

Now, Rick could see was the large scar that Kate had tried so hard to hide.

* * *

AN: So, was the gift sweet or weird? As always, constructive criticism is welcome. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day everyone!


	24. Chapter 23

AN: So, here it is, the big reveal. Just to let you know, I am not gifted when it comes to describing things, so this chapter was hard to write. Anyway, thank you to those who have reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 23

Rick stared at Kate, trying to take everything in. His eyes traveled to the large scar on the right side of her face, and they took in every detail. The scar was a circle, which went from the corner of the right side of her lip, along her jaw, and went up to her ear lobe and circled back to the corner of her lip. The outer part of the scar was white, and became slightly redder as it moved further into the middle of her cheek. Within the scar were extra lines that Rick assumed were scrapes. The scrapes created slight indents within the scar. He could tell that the skin was slighter tighter in that area than the rest of her face.

As Rick stared at the woman across from him, he tried to figure out what the big deal was. Maybe it was because he wrote gruesome murders for a living, but he did not find the scar all that bad. Also, it might have been because he was biased with his feelings towards her. Regardless, Rick was touched by the fact that Kate had allowed herself to be vulnerable and open herself up to him. To him, it was the best birthday gift he had ever received. As the author moved his eyes back to the rest of her face, he saw that she was biting her lip nervously, and the brunette's eyes were full of uncertainty and fear.

"Rick," she said softly. "Please, say something."

Instead of responding, Rick walked towards her and cupped her other cheek. He then gave her a soft, gentle kiss on the lips.

"You are beautiful," he murmured, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Really?" Kate's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes." Rick then raised his free hand and began to lift it towards her scar. However, he hesitated, silently asking for permission.

"It's okay," she murmured. "You can touch it."

Rick then gently, almost reverently, ran his fingers over the area. The skin had a slight leathery feel to it, and was a little stiff. His fingers began to lovingly caress the scar for a few moments, before he lowered his hand and intertwined it with Kate's hand.

"Will you tell me the story?"

Kate nodded in response and Rick led her to the couch. He positioned them so that she was curled up next to him and he had an arm wrapped around her waist. He waited patiently as she prepared herself. A few moments later, she spoke,

"I was nineteen," she started. "It was November and I had come home from Stanford for Thanksgiving. Originally, I did not plan on going home," she mused. "However, I felt guilty and I also wanted to keep one tradition in tact while I was away, so I came home. Anyway," she continued. "it was the day after Thanksgiving and I was supposed to go back to Stanford the next day. I was in my room reading, and the next thing I know, I'm smelling smoke. The apartment building we lived in was ancient, so the fire spread quickly." Kate then swallowed a little as her voice began to crack. Rick squeezed her hand in reassurance and she continued on.

"I ran out of my room and began searching for my mom. Dad had gone off to do some errand. Anyway, as I was yelled for her, the fire had reached the ceiling and pieces of the ceiling began to fall. Mom had told me go to the fire escape, which was in her room. The smoke was spreading and it was getting harder to see in front of me. When I got to the window, I turned around to see my mom trying to step over some debris. I went over to help her, except I slipped on the debris and fell on the side of my face as I tried to pull her over. By this time, the fire had spread to where we were. The flames then began to touch the side of my face." Kate then closed her eyes, clearly remembering. "God, the pain," she whispered, her hands beginning to clutch his shirt. "There was so much pain. During the few moments I was still conscious, I wanted to die," she choked, her grip on him tightening. Rick then pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. "The last thing I remember is Mom screaming my name before I fell unconscious," she finished, trying to compose herself.

Rick rubbed her back comfortingly. "How did the fire start?"

"The fire department chalked it up to a faulty socket in the bedroom." Kate sighed. "Who knew something so small could cause so much damage?"

They were silent for a few moments before Rick spoke again, saying, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How come the whole side of your face isn't damaged? I mean, since you fell on the side of your face." Rick carefully asked, not wanting to push.

Kate sighed. "I wondered the same thing when I woke up in the hospital. Admittedly, I didn't know what was going on at first, since I was drugged up on pain meds. However, when I was lucid enough, I did ask the doctors if they knew why. They told me I was very lucky. Apparently, my mom somehow managed to drag me to a safe area and began to roll my face on the ground, which extinguished the fire. That's why there are extra scratches within my scar, because there was some debris where my mom rolled me. She also has some burn scars on her lower body because of that, but they aren't as bad as this one."

"I don't think your scar looks bad at all," he murmured, looking into her eyes.

She smiled, but then sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Others would beg to differ," she grumbled.

Rick scowled. "Yeah, well, they're foolish. The fact that they can't see beyond your appearance to discover the real you proves it. They don't know what they're missing out on." He knew they were missing out on getting to know the greatest woman he had ever met.

Kate chuckled. "You have a high opinion of me," she teased.

Rick shrugged. "You fascinate me, and you're different from the other girls I've met along the way, especially during my career. You're intelligent, sassy, brave, giving, and not to mention sexy." He gave her one of his boyish grins.

Kate playfully slapped his chest and rolled her eyes. "You're not so bad yourself." She smiled.

Rick chuckled and then turned serious again. "Can you ask you something else?"

Sensing the shift in his mood, Kate furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What?"

"When did you start wearing the make up?"

Kate furrowed eyebrows, clearing thinking. She then said, "A little over a month afterward. The doctors had said that they could perform skin grafting, but I wasn't up to it. I didn't want to have to deal with anymore pain," she whispered. "So, my wound was exposed. It was healing apparently, and I was pushing to go back to school. Besides my parents and the doctors, I hadn't really been around anyone since the fire. So, when I arrived at school, everyone was staring." Kate shook her head, her voice cracking. "The looks were a mix of disgust and pity. People who knew me wouldn't associate with me anymore. Rooms would become silent and everyone would stare at me as I walked in." Kate's eyes watered a little. "I couldn't take it anymore, and I considered leaving the school. I began to cover up the scar in hopes that people would stop talking about me or looking at me like I was some monster," she said softly, looking at her hands.

Rick gently put his fingers up to her chin and tilted her head to meet his eyes, "You're not," Rick reassured her, his gaze intense. To him, the other people were the monsters. Kate smiled in response before saying,

"I know that now. Back then, though, my emotions were still all over the place from the incident, and I was fairly vulnerable. Once I started putting the makeup on, the staring stopped. I still got a few snide comments from girls about how covering it up wouldn't do anything. Besides that, people pretty much left me alone."

"Did you wind up transferring though?"

Kate nodded. "Remember the incident I told you about the day we went to the ice rink?" Rick nodded, remembering the time when she started opening up to him. "Well, that incident solidified my decision about transferring. I figured I would help Mom if she ever needed it. Also, I figured transferring would give me a fresh start."

"And did it?"

Kate smiled. "Yes, it did. I transferred to NYU for the spring semester and spent the rest of my college years there. It was nice, being in a place where no one knew what had happened and wouldn't pity me. No questions were raised about why I didn't just live at home, which was only a few miles away, instead of living on campus."

"Why didn't you live at home?" Rick asked, confused.

"Since our old apartment was in unlivable condition, we moved into a new one. However, I didn't, and still can't, see it as home," Kate said quietly."None of my childhood memories reside there. I didn't really have any major milestones accomplished in the new apartment, with the exception of graduating college."

Rick nodded in understanding. "What about your mom?"

Kate shrugged. "She pushed on and was able to adjust to the new apartment. Dad was great with the both of us, considering the situation. He goes with her to some of her doctors appointments, when she does go to them." Kate snorted and the sighed. "Due to the fire, and now her age, Mom has to be careful when she gets sick, since it can affect her airways. I sometimes have to check and make sure that she did visit the doctor if she ever does get sick. Besides that, she's like me, active, working, and living life," Kate finished. "So, that's pretty much it."

Rick smiled, looking into her eyes. "Thank you so much, for telling me everything," he said, kissing her forehead and then her lips. "Best birthday present ever."

Kate grinned. "You're welcome. This is actually the furthest I have gotten with getting another guy to know me," she mused.

Rick stared at her, surprised.

"Yeah," Kate responded sighing. "Most of them run when they see the scar. The one guy who stuck around for a bit longer didn't want to hear how I got it. I guess I should have taken the hint then that things were not going to work out," she muttered.

Rick scowled. "He broke up with you just for that?"

"He said his friends were 'talking' and that he couldn't have that."

Rick shook his head in dismay. "Well, I'm not going anywhere," he promised, gently squeezing her hand.

"But won't it be harder for you? I mean, you have the paparazzi and your fans," Kate said uncertainly.

Rick shrugged. "I don't care. Beside, the paparazzi never has anything good to say." He knew that from personal experience.

"And your fans?"

"I sometimes question their sanity," he joked, at least he was pretty sure he was joking. He then turned serious. "I don't care what other people think, Kate. I'm not going anywhere."

"Then neither am I," she promised, before kissing him, her lips lingering there for a few moments before moving away. Rick then looked at her in confusion as the brunette slipped out of his grasp and got up from the couch. She held out her hand to him. "Now come on, Birthday Boy. Let's go help your mother and daughter clean up the kitchen."

Rick pouted as he took her hand. "But you made the mess," he huffed

Kate smirked. "But we can't have you slacking off now, can we? So, come on."

Rick chuckled as she dragged him back into kitchen. He only hoped that things would only get better from there.

* * *

AN: So, good? Bad? Confused about something? Let me know. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	25. Chapter 24

AN: Wow, over two hundred reviews! Thank you so much you guys, it means a lot that you take the time to review. Also, thank you to those who follow and favorite this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 24

The next day, Kate called her mother after returning home from work. She could barely contain her excitement as her mother picked up on the first ring.

"Hello, Dear," Johanna answered.

"Hi Mom," Kate returned cheerfully.

Johanna chuckled. "Someone's awfully cheerful today. What's got you in such a good mood?"

"I need to tell you something."

"What?" her mother inquired.

"Well, yesterday I went to Rick's for his birthday," Kate started.

"You went to Rick's? I thought you told me that you two were trying to keep your relationship a secret?" Johanna asked, confused. Kate sighed, remembering telling her mother of her and Rick's situation. Johanna had just told Kate to be careful and to not get caught.

"Yes, but it was his birthday and Alexis invited me," Kate explained. "Anyway, when he was getting gifts, I realized that I had nothing to give him. However, I decided to show him my scar," Kate said quietly, but proudly.

"I'm guessing it went well?" Johanna surmised.

A grin spread across Kate's face. "It went better than well. Rick acted so much differently than I expected. He was so attentive and understanding."

If Kate was honest with herself, she thought that the reaction would be worse. When she fully revealed her scar to Rick, she had looked for the signs of impending rejection. The tightening of the smile, and the dimming of the light in his eyes. However, the brunette was pleasantly surprised when he acted the exact opposite. He had been so loving, so caring. When the ordeal was over, Kate wondered why she had been worried in the first place.

"I'm so happy for you Katie!" her mother exclaimed. "So, when do I get meet Rick?"

"Mom," Kate groaned. Her mother and father had the tendency to embarrass her or give her boyfriends a hard time when they met.

"Relax, Dear; I won't embarrass you, much," Johanna teased.

"I just don't want you interrogating him like he's a witness in cross-examination," the brunette grumbled.

"I think you should be more concerned with your father on that end," the elder Beckett joked. "Seriously though, when can we meet him? I'd like to have him over for dinner."

"I have to ask Rick and see what his schedule is like. I know spring break is in two weeks, so maybe we can do it then."

"Good, just tell me what day so I know when to cook."

"Okay," Kate answered. They chatted for a few more minutes, talking about unimportant before Johanna said she had to answer a client's call. After saying goodbye and hanging up, Kate settled herself into the couch. A smile was still on her face from the conversation and memories of the day before.

She had to admit that the decision to show Rick her scar had been a spur of the moment thing. She had been in the bathroom, feeling guilty for not getting Rick a present. It was when she was looking in the mirror that had thought of the idea. She knew that Rick wanted to know her, all of her, even if he did not press the issue. So, Kate figured that showing him her scar would be the best thing she could give him. After asking Martha for her cold cream, Kate removed the make up and gave herself a little pep talk in the mirror. When she arrived downstairs, she waited a few moments to calm her nerves before opening the door to Rick's office. After that, Kate had planned to just accept whatever happened to happen.

So, as she stood there in his office, she waited for his reaction, her self-consciousness building as he just stood there. Then, he was in front of her and kissing her. Kate was surprised, but pleased. She was thrilled when Rick touched the scar, especially the way he had done it. His touch had been so loving and reverent it was almost as if he was worshiping the scar. Then, when she told him her story, he placed various kisses on her face and held her. At that moment, Kate felt the most wanted she had in years. Rick was a stark contrast to the other men she had dated, and Kate planned to not take that for granted.

Also, Alexis and Martha were angels afterwards. When Rick and Kate walked out of the office, hands intertwined, the two females Castles acted normal. Neither of them stared at Kate's face as they washed the dishes and carried on a normal conversation. They made her feel like she was a part of the family.

Now, all they had to do was survive meeting her parents.

* * *

Rick grinned as he hung up the phone, finishing a conversation with the head of the parent committee at Marlowe Prep. He was now set to chaperone the spring fling on Friday. It was Wednesday, a week after his birthday, and Rick had been meaning to call the school about volunteering. He knew and that he and Kate would need to be careful of prying eyes when they were chaperoning, but he was hoping to get some alone time with her. He would not mind getting to feel those fantastic lips again.

Rick immediately texted Kate, grinning like a fool as he did so.

_Operation Spring Fling is a go!_

A few seconds later, his phone beeped.

_Operation Spring Fling? What is this, a spy movie?_

_Well, we are sneaking around, aren't we? :)_

_True. Do we have code names?_

Rick chuckled at Kate's playing along.

_Sparrow and Eagle I think are good._

_Well, good job then, Sparrow. ;)_

Rick narrowed his eyes. So that's how she was playing it?

_I prefer Eagle, I am the man, after all._

_Really? I didn't know that! ;)_

_Trust me, I am all man, Miss Beckett._

_Really, all I see is all bark and no bite._

Rick smirked. Oh what little Kate knew.

_I bite plenty, I shall have you know. ;)_

_Mmm, so do I. That's how I claim what's mine._

Rick's jaw dropped in shock. Claim what was hers? So, she considered him hers? Rick felt giddy at the thought.

_That is also how I claim too, Kate. And when the time comes, I plan on leaving you with plenty of marks._

Rick frowned when Kate did not respond after a few moments. He grew nervous that maybe he had pushed too far, but was relieved when she responded.

_I bet mine will outnumber yours. ;)_

Rick then swallowed as he imagined Kate's lips on his skin, and then her teeth nipping, biting-

_So, I'll see you Friday?_

Tease, Rick thought.

_Yes. Do you want me to pick you up?_

_No, too risky. I'll just meet you there with the rest of the chaperones._

_Okay, then. I'll see you there, Sparrow. :)_

_Right back at you. Oh, and you're still Sparrow._

Rick chuckled as he put away his phone. He liked the fact that Kate was being open and playful with him, especially after her reveal a week before. She had seemed fine after they left his office, but he was not sure if she would regret. However, her text that she sent him later stating that she had gotten home safely had alleviated his fears. She actually seemed more care-free and less guarded than before. Rick was hoping that her confidence was building. He would do anything to help reassure her if she ever needed it.

As he sat there, Rick remembered that the spring fling was a dressy occasion. Most of the students dressed themselves in more formal clothing. So, Rick planned to get a little dressed up for the dance to make it seem a little more like a date. He doubted that anyone would think it was odd. However, Rick could not wait until they had a real second date. He had thought of the perfect place. It was quiet, intimate, romantic, and free from prying eyes. He planned on surprising Kate whenever they planned on going. He was sure she would love it.

Rick then sighed when realized that he needed to get writing. So, he turned on his laptop and prayed that he would finish the book by the end of the week.

* * *

AN: Not totally satisfied with this chapter. It's mainly a filler, but the spring fling is next. So, that means some Caskett moments! Oh, and I did not forget about Kate asking Rick about dinner with her parents. that will be in the next chapter. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	26. Chapter 25

AN: So, it is a Castle-less Monday and it will be like that for two more weeks! Oh well, at least there is fanfic to keep us occupied. Thank you to those who have followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 25

Both Kate and Lanie walked through the gym doors on Friday night. The music was already blaring from the speakers that were set up near the DJ at the end of the gym. As they entered, Kate noticed that the gym was not decorated like it had been for the Valentine's Day dance. The gym had some streamers hanging from the ceiling and the refreshment table was covered in flowered table cloths. Besides those things, the rest of the gym was bare. The students on the other hand, were a different story. Most of the girls were dressed in more formal clothing, from slacks and tops to dresses. The boys wore dress shirts and slacks.

"How come everyone is so dressed up?" Kate asked Lanie as they examined the students from the doorway.

"This dance is a semi-formal, which is why I told you to dress up a little," Lanie explained.

Kate rolled her eyes. Earlier that day, Lanie had advised her to wear something nice to the dance. So, Kate picked out a white, short-sleeved blouse and khaki pants. She also wore black, open-toed heels. The brunette had curled her hair and did her usual lip gloss and eyeshadow for makeup.

"I thought you told me that because I told you Rick was coming," Kate whispered into her friend's ear. As she said this, Kate began searching for Rick and smiled when she spotted him on the other side of the gym. Apparently, Rick saw her too, since he gave her a little wave and a quick wink.

"That too," Lanie agreed and smirked as she saw Rick. As the two teachers scanned the gym, Kate let out a groan. "What?"

"What's he doing here?" Kate grumbled looking toward the refreshment table. Lanie followed her line of sight and swore under her breath.

"He must be filling his chaperoning quota," Lanie said, watching the English teacher take a pretzel from a bowl.

"Why do I have a feeling that this is not a coincidence?" Kate sighed, before turning her attention back to Rick. She had been planning to sneak away with Rick later in the night, even if it was only for a few moments. However, having Daniel there made it harder. Kate had been looking forward to being with Rick for the past two days, now she did not know if it was possible. Also, with the way he looked, Kate was even more disappointed. Rick was wearing a blue dress shirt and black slacks, which made him look very handsome. The way he had done his hair made Kate want run her fingers through it as she kissed him.

"Don't worry, I'll cover for you, if you want to sneak away later," Lanie said, winking.

Kate chuckled. "Thanks. I have to tell him that my parents want to meet him sometime next week."

"Nervous?" Lanie teased.

Kate shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I'm sure my mom will like him. My dad is a different story." Lanie chuckled as her friend made a face.

"Over protective I'm guessing?" Kate nodded and rolled her eyes. "Hey, I told you that my meet the parents dinner was successful. I'm sure yours will be fine."

Kate laughed. After Lanie had her own meet the parents dinner with Javier, she came into the school excited, it had apparently gone really well. Lanie had taken a liking to Javier's parents and vice versa.

"I just hope that they don't scare him off. Having two lawyers as parents does not always go well with boyfriends," Kate huffed.

Lanie patted her friend's arm. "I doubt he scares easily."

Kate nodded. "He doesn't," she said softly.

Lanie raised an eyebrow, sensing a lot more to Kate's statement. "Something you need to share with the class?"

Kate smiled. She had not told Lanie about what had happened during Rick's birthday. She had wanted to keep it to herself for a bit, to keep it private. However, she was comfortable enough to tell Lanie at this point.

"Remember how I told you I celebrated his birthday with him?" The science teacher nodded. "Well, that day I showed him my scar."

Lanie's eyes grew wide and a big grin spread across her face. "Oh, girl, I'm so happy for you! Obviously, I don't need to ask how it went, since you two are still attached."

Kate nodded and smiled. "He was great through the whole thing. He's the first guy to ever do that."

"He's definitely a keeper then," Lanie stated. "Now go to him, I won't keep you any longer.

Kate thanked her friend before shuffling across the gym floor. She made sure to keep on an eye on Daniel to make sure he was not looking at her. Once she made her way to Rick, she grinned.

"Hey," she said, her hand itching to hold his.

"Hello. You look gorgeous," he murmured loud enough for her to hear over the music.

"Thanks. You look quite handsome as well."

Rick smirked. "You already knew that though." Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I think your friend is watching us," he said, nodding his head towards Lanie.

Kate snickered and gave Lanie a little wave. "Yeah, she's just excited to see us together. She's been a big supporter through everything, even if it has only been a few months."

"Well, I'm glad that we able to grant her wish," Rick's gaze was intense and Kate found herself blushing a little. Oh the things she wanted to do to him. If they could only get away for a few minutes! She eyed the same spot where Daniel still was, and could see that he was turning their way. Kate distanced herself a little from Rick, but not too much.

"And my mom's," Kate added. "Speaking of which, my parents want to meet you sometime next week. My mother invited us over for dinner."

"Your parents want to meet me?" Rick asked nervously.

"Yes, why? Nervous?" Kate teased.

"Me? Nervous? Of course not!" Rick exclaimed, putting on some bravado.

Kate smirked. "Relax, I'm sure you'll do fine. My mom's a fan of your books, so that's a plus. You'll need to work harder for my dad though."

"He doesn't have a gun or anything, right?"

Kate shook her head. "No, no gun. However, he does have a supply of wit that could surpass yours."

"Mmm, we'll see about that." Rick was clearly up for a challenge. "So, what day is good for you?"

Kate shrugged. "Any day really. I'm free all next week, since the school is off."

Rick grinned. "Yeah, Alexis would be more thrilled about vacation, except she has to do a group project for History with someone. She apparently got paired up with someone she's not too fond of."

"Who?"

"Lisa Malince. She and Alexis used to sit together at lunch. Anyway, I'm pretty much free as long as I get some writing done. So, how about Tuesday?"

"Sounds good to me. A little tip to get on my parents' good side is bring wine," the brunette joked.

Rick chuckled. "I think wine is the perfect way to get on anyone's good side. So, do you want me to pick you up?"

"Sure, I'll just ask Mom when she wants us to be there. I'll let you know once I talk to her."

Rick nodded in agreement before returning his attention to the students. The energy in the atmosphere was palpable and it was mostly due to the impending vacation for the next week. However, there was another energy there that Kate knew was not from the students. It was same energy from the Valentine's Day dance, except it was stronger this time. Kate was finding to hard to resist the energy between her and Rick, and she wanted to do something about it, and fast. Looking around, Kate did not see Daniel anywhere. After checking a second time, she spoke,

"I just remembered that I forgot some papers that I need to grade. They're in the classroom. Do you want to come with me to go get them?" Kate asked nonchalantly.

Rick looked at her, a confused expression on his face. "Um, sure?"

Kate smiled and gave Lanie a signal by pointing upwards. Seeming to understand, Lanie left her post and searched for Daniel. Kate and Rick then walked out the gym and into the hallway that connected to the rest of the school. Kate walked to a spot where they were out of eyesight from the door window that looked into the gym.

"Not that I don't like spending time with you, but why do you want me to come?" Rick asked as they walked out of the gym and began to walk up to her classroom. Kate grinned when they reached the classroom and turned around, a mischievous twinkle forming in her eyes. She then stood herself in front of Rick and took his face between her hands and kissed him. He had a bewildered expression on his face for a few seconds, before smirking. "There are no papers, are there?"

"Glad you can keep up," Kate teased, before kissing him again, more slowly this time. She paused for a moment to open the door to her classroom, before pulling Rick inside. As she continued to kiss him, Rick's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He kissed her back, a little harder, backing her up against the door. His hands journeyed down to her thighs and he rubbed them. Kate let out a moan as her leg went around his waist like a snake. Rick's lips moved to her neck, placing feverish kisses along it. "No hickeys," she warned breathlessly.

"You're no fun," he grumbled as he continued his assault on her neck. After a few moments, his kisses grew softer, gentler. He then leaned his forehead against hers to catch his breath.

"Wow," Kate laughed breathlessly. "I guess we were both eager."

"Definitely." Rick placed a kiss on her forehead and then her right cheek. "So, I was thinking about our second date. I was thinking something small, quiet,"

"Intimate?" Kate finished for him. Rick nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." She pushed herself away from the wall and leaned against of the desks. "Do you have any place in mind?"

"I was thinking of this beautiful restaurant. It's called One If By Land, Two If By Sea. It's not usually crowded, and the atmosphere is very romantic, and it's not too expensive," Rick explained as he approached her, stroking her right cheek. Kate raised an eyebrow, but smiled at his touch.

"Not too expensive?" Kate teased.

"It's not too bad, I promise. Plus, it's definitely worth the price."

Kate thought for a moment. It actually sounded a lot nicer than the restaurant she had in mind. Then, she nodded.

"Okay, I trust your judgement. So, do you want to do it next week?"

"Sure, although I think we should get your parents' blessing first," Rick admitted shyly.

"Okay, but are you really that nervous?" Kate asked softly. Rick looked at her slightly embarrassed. "It's going to go fine. My parents will love you, especially when they see what a caring, loving man you are, Rick," Kate said sincerely, looking into his eyes.

Rick smiled at her reassurance. "Thanks. I'm just nervous that they'll think that my reputation is actually true."

"My parents aren't shallow. However, we will expunge any trace of doubt out of their minds," Kate said determinedly, before quickly kissing him.

Rick grinned and then pouted. "I have to admit, I feel a little cheated. You got to meet my mother without all the anxiety."

Kate shrugged. "Oh well. I'm sure that I'll make up for it in the future." Kate then looked at the clock that hung on the wall. "We should be getting back. I'm sure Lanie is ready to kill me by now for forcing her to talk to Daniel for so long. I owe her big time."

Rick chuckled before taking her face in between his hands and kissing her long and slow. "One for the road," he murmured, before leading her out of the classroom.

* * *

AN: So, next chapter is meet the parents! As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	27. Chapter 26

AN: Sorry for the long wait. Thanks to Julie for helping me with this chapter. As a always, thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle

* * *

Chapter 26

Rick shifted nervously from one foot to the other. Kate and him were standing out side her parents' apartment, waiting for her mother to open the door. He kept a tight grip on the bottle of wine he had bought and put in a gold bag, tied with a white ribbon. He decided to go with white wine, since it pretty much went with any meal. Now, he just hoped everyone would like it. Suddenly, he felt a gentle hand on his arm. He turned to face Kate, who gave him a reassuring smile.

"Hey, relax," she said softly. "I'm sure my parents will love you; you have nothing to worry about."

"I hope," Rick mumbled. Kate chuckled as the door opened, revealing a older woman with familiar hazel eyes.

"Hello dear," she said to Kate and then she turned to Rick. "You must be Rick, it's nice to finally meet you." She gave him a friendly smile.

"Likewise, Mrs. Beckett," Rick replied, giving her a charming smile.

"Please, call me Johanna. Mrs. Beckett makes me feel old. Now, both you come in, dinner will be ready in a bit." Rick chuckled and handed her the wine. "Oh, thank you Dear."

The couple entered the apartment and Rick noticed that the taste between the parents and Kate's seemed similar. Their apartments were decorated in a similar fashion, and they both gave off a cozy aurora.

"Nice place," he commented as he and Kate sat down on the black sofa.

"Yeah, it's nice," Kate said simply, her smile tight. Rick then recalled how she told him that's he could never get used to the apartment. He gave a small smile and squeezed her hand. Johanna came out, wiping her hands together.

"Sorry about that, I'm letting things stay warm on the stove," Johanna replied. "Would you like anything to drink? Water, tea, coffee?"

"Water is fine, thank you," Rick said politely.

Johanna nodded. "Anything for you, Katie?"

"I'll have water also, Mom," Kate replied. Johanna nodded and walked away into the kitchen.

"You know, you're almost a mirror image of your mother," Rick commented. It was true, Kate seemed to have similar facial features as her mother, including eyes, nose, and mouth.

"Yeah," Kate chuckled. "We get that a lot. You have to search really hard to see any traces of my dad. It's apparently more clear in my personality."

Just then, Johanna came out of the kitchen holding two glasses of water. Handing them to the couple, she spoke,

"What are you two whispering about?"

Rick shrugged and took his glass. "Nothing. It's that you two look so much a like."

"Oh, I know," Johanna laughed. "Jim used to joke that his genes were lost in the gene pool."

Kate chuckled, taking a sip of her water. "Speaking of Dad, where is he?"

"I sent him out to pick up dessert. I hope you like blueberry pie," Johanna told Rick.

"I love blueberry pie," Rick said, grinning.

"So," Johanna said, sitting down in an armchair next the couch. "Tell me exactly how you two met," she said. "You never did give me the full details, Katie."

Rick saw Kate frown as she furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "I guess not," the brunette said. "Well, to start, it was the day I went to buy Rick's book." Rick chuckled as Kate blushed when she said this. Kate just rolled her eyes. "I was walking with Alexis who was headed in the same direction. When we arrived at the bookstore, she introduced me to Rick."

"It seemed that you already knew who I was though," Rick teased. "Your jaw was slack for a little too long."

"Yeah, well, the sunglasses and hat don't really hide your identity," Kate chuckled. "Anyway, after talking for a bit, we went our separate ways."

"I'm guessing there's more to this story?" Johanna inquired, an amused look on her face.

"Yes," Rick chimed. "After going our separate ways, I decided to go talk to Kate and get to know her a little more. Although, I was quite surprised where she went after she left." Rick grinned and Kate elbowed him to stop talking.

"Where did you go?" Johanna asked Kate.

Rick obviously did not see the warning look as Kate's face as he said quickly, "Shewentintotheeroticasection "

Johanna laughed. "Really, Kate?"

Kate groaned. "I didn't want him to know I was buying his book." She glared at Rick.

Rick laughed. "Anyway, I followed her and found her flipping through my book. I decided to tease her. We talked for a bit, but then I overstepped." He frowned, still feeling a little guilty for what he had said.

"Yes, you were being nosy," Kate said, rubbing his hand. "But I forgave for you that."

"Why? What did you say?" Johanna asked.

"He asked about the makeup on my face," Kate said with ease. Johanna's mouth formed into an 'O'. Kate chuckled.

"Yeah, I tend to have a lack of filter," Rick muttered.

"It can be cute sometimes," Kate teased. Just as she spoke, the door opened to reveal her father.

"Hello Dear," Johanna said getting up from the chair and giving her husband a kiss on the lips. She then took the cake box he had been holding.

Kate detached herself from Rick and got up to greet her father.

"Hey, Dad." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Rick stood up as well, ready to meet Papa Beckett.

"Hello you two," Jim said and then faced Rick. "You must be Rick, Katie's new boyfriend." He held out his hand for Rick to shake.

"Yes, I am, Mr. Beckett," Rick replied shaking his hand, making sure his grip was steady.

"Firm handshake, I like it," Jim stated. "And please, call me Jim." The older man's brown eyes were shining with joy.

"Well, dinner should be ready. Let me go check," Johanna to the kitchen.

"So, how are you doing, Katie?" Jim asked.

"Good, just prepping the juniors for their state test and the AP kids for their exam next month," Kate replied.

"I'm sure they'll pass with flying colors with you as a teacher. Rick grinned and winked at her,

Both Kate and Jim chuckled, "Thanks, I hope so."

Johanna then reappeared from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready, so come and sit."

The trio sat down at the table, eagerly awaiting their meal.

"Smells delicious," Rick commented as a plate was put in front of him. "And it looks delicious."

"Thank you, Dear," Johanna said. "It's roast beef with mashed potatoes and peas. I also made some gravy."

"Mom loves to cook," Kate said. "She'll sometimes fiddle around in the kitchen trying to make something."

"Really?" Rick asked, raising an eyebrow.

Johanna shrugged. "It's a hobby of mine. I like to do it after work, it helps me relax."

"I sometimes experiment myself sometimes," Rick said. "Although, Mother and Alexis always object to the Smorlette I make." All three Becketts looked at him like he had three heads. "What? It's a delicious combination of eggs, crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate!"

"Remind me to tell Alexis to tell me to run if you ever offer that to me," Kate said with a disgusted face.

"Fine, but you're missing out." Rick pouted.

"Yes, I enjoy eating a variety of foods, but I don't think that would be one of them, " Johanna said with a chuckle. Jim nodded in agreement. The three then do tinged talking about various things. Rick was thrilled that everything seemed to be going well, and that he and Kate's parents were getting along. He really wanted to please them and make them sure that he was right for Kate. When everyone's plate was almost empty, Kate excused herself.

"I need to use the restroom," she announced, before getting up from the table and walking towards the restroom. After watching her leave, Rick turned back to see the two older Becketts stating at him intently. Rick tried to remain calm as he realized that he had just been put in a tank with friendly, protective sharks.

"So, Rick," Johanna started.

"This is usually the part where we grill you about your intentions with Katie," Jim stated.

"However, we are giving you a chance to state your case," Johanna finished.

Rick looked at both of the parents apprehensively, trying to calm his nerves. Then, he spoke.

"Kate is," Rick started. "She's incredible. She's funny, sweet, and intelligent. She beautiful, both inside and out." Both Becketts smiled a little at this. "She's different from any other woman I've met. She keeps me on my toes and puts up with everything I've done so far. She's patient, and loyal. She stands up for those who need it." Rick was recalling the Meredith incident as he said this. "She's also strong. After all the things she's been though in life, she's kept her ground and pushed through. She's independent, almost to a fault." Both Becketts chuckled at this and Rick smiled. "I know it's only been a few months," Rick said softly. "However, with all the things I have mentioned, I've grown to really care about Kate and would do anything to make her happy."

Both of the Becketts looked at each other and smiled.

"I think you make a good argument Rick," Johanna stated. Rick grinned, but Johanna put her hand. "But, we need to know if you're in this for the long run. How far do you see yourself going with Katie?"

Rick nodded in understanding. "I am in this for the long run. As for how I see us, I do want a future with Kate. Granted, we're still taking it slow." Both parents nodded in approval at this. "However, I have sometimes imagined Kate living with me in the loft. Sometimes we're married," Rick admitted sheepishly. "However, the thinking is a bit fast for the time we've known each other and we still need to lay low on our relationship. So, as of right now, we're just playing it by ear."

"Have you ever told Kate of your imaginings?" Jim inquired.

Rick shook his head. "No, not yet. I figured I would wait. She just revealed her secret to me only about two weeks ago."

"Katie has always had a hard time with that," Johanna admitted.

"I know, she told me," Rick replied. "However, I don't care about that at all. I like who she is, scars and all."

Both parents then smiled, looked at each other and nodded.

"Well, you have given a good case Rick," Jim said. "We think you're good for Katie. You seem to make her happier than she ever had been."

"Thank you, Sir," Rick said respectfully. Johanna looked like she was about to say something else, but then Kate walked back to the table.

"So, what did I miss?" Kate asked, sitting back down.

"Nothing much," Jim replied.

"They didn't torture you, did they?" Kate asked Rick, worry written on her face. Rick chuckled and shook his head.

"No, everything is fine." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Katie dear, could you help me clean up the kitchen?" Johanna asked. She seemed to be giving Kate some sort of look.

"Okay, Mom," Kate said rolling her eyes, apparently understanding her mother. As the two women went into the kitchen, Jim turned to Rick.

"I know Katie can handle her own," Jim started as they walked toward the living room. "However, it's still my duty as a father to warn you that if you hurt her, I will hurt you. Understand?"

Rick nodded. "I have a daughter of my own. I completely understand where you're coming from, Jim."

"Good. Now, there's one thing that bothered me when you were stating your case." Rick furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "You said you care for Katie."

"But I do," Rick objected.

Jim shook his head. "No, you don't just care for Katie. The way I see you look at her and the way she looks at you she is the same way Johanna and I look at each other. The way you two bicker playfully is exactly the way Johanna and I are."

"I don't understand what you're saying," Rick stated, confused.

Jim chuckled. "What I am saying is, Rick, you don't just care for Katie, you love her."

* * *

"So what do you think of Rick?" Kate asked her mother as they cleaned the dishes.

"I like him," Johanna stated. "He's a nice man and he seems genuine. He's good for you."

"I know he is," Kate chuckled. "I've never felt happier in my life than I am now. Rick makes me feel free and I can be myself around 's no secrets or hiding things. There's no more fear of rejection." Kate smiled as she touched her cheek. "I know I have strong feelings for him, and they keep growing everyday."

Johanna nodded in understanding.

"It's incredible," Kate murmured. "It's only been a few months, yet I feel a strong connection with him. I'm starting to realize that Rick might be 'the one'. I don't know if it's too soon though," Kate said her tone showing concern.

Johanna set down the dish towel she was holding and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Katie, it's not that unusual."

"It's not?"

Johanna shook her head and chuckled. "No, it's not. Do you want know how long your father and I were together when I realized he was the one for me?" Kate just nodded. "Four months."

"Four months? That's all?"

"Yes, only four months and I knew your father was the one for me. Unfortunately, it took him a little longer to realize that." Johanna chuckled. "But lo and behold, he proposed a year later."

"Wow," Kate murmured. Maybe it was possible to have feeling for a person that quickly.

"So," Johanna started. "Is there anything you're still concerned about?"

Kate shook her head. "No, not really. I'm just nervous for when we go public. I know the paparazzi would go a little nuts. I don't know enough about his agent to see how much of a help she would be."

"Have you talked to Rick about it?"

"No, not yet, but I should. We would could probably humor the media and maybe they'll leave us alone," Kate mused. She hoped that would work.

"You don't know that yet," Johanna stated. "Just talk to him about it, so you know what to expect."

Kate nodded. "We're still keeping our relationship low-key. However, he wants to take me out this week."

"Ooh, where?" Johanna asked excitedly as Kate laughed.

"Um, One If By Land, Two if by Sea." Kate searched her memory for the name of the restaurant.

Johanna nodded in approval. "That's a very nice place. It's the number one restaurant for Valentine's Day. Your father and I went there once, it's very nice, but expensive."

"I should have known," Kate grumbled.

"Relax Katie, if Rick wants to spoil you a little, let him. If you reject his gifts too much, you might be insulting him. I know you like being independent and so do I, but it's sometimes nice to let the men pay once in a while."

Kate chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind, since Rick seems to want to spoil me."

"Well, anyway, he's seem great and I hope you two come here more often."

Kate grinned, thrilled that her mother approved of Rick.

"Hopefully, we will be. And does Dad like him also?"

Johanna nodded. "Yes, he does. Just make sure Rick is well versed in baseball."

Kate let out a loud laugh. "I will," she said as they finished cleaning up the kitchen. Both women then went into the living room to join their other halves.

* * *

AN: So, there's the meet the parents dinner. Good? Bad?Okay? As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	28. Chapter 27

AN: Sorry for the wait guys! As always, thank you to those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 27

"I think that it went well," Kate said as they exited her parents's apartment, hands linked together.

"I think so too," Rick said absentmindedly. In truth, his mind was still on the revelation Jim had given him. Was he in love with Kate? He knew he had strong feelings for her, but was it love?

"Hey," she said softly, gently tugging on his hand. He turned to her and gave her a small smile. "You okay? You've seem distracted since my dad talked to you. Did he say something that bothers you?" Concerned was written all over her face.

Rick examined her for a minute, touched by her concern. As he stared at her, he began to wonder if it was love. In truth, Jim's statement probably should not have surprised the writer. Kate was beautiful, he knew that. However, she also had a strong personality and added a certain joy to his life. He had never felt like that with any woman before, not even his ex-wives. So, yes he decided to himself, it must be love that he felt for Kate.

Rick shook his head. "No, nothing I didn't really already know." He cupped her cheek and kissed her lips.

"Okay, then," Kate hummed, clearly pleased with Rick's gesture. "So, time to go home?"

Rick nodded. "Let me drive so I can drop you off first." His tone left no room for argument. Kate scowled but agreed as they exited the building and entered his car.

"So," she started, buckling herself in. "When should we have our second date?"

"How about Friday?" Rick asked, hoping she would say yes.

"Friday is fine with me, but isn't that short notice?"

"Well, I may have already made the reservations," he admitted sheepishly. He had probably been presumptuous in doing that, but he just been so eager for another date.

Kate looked at him in surprise and then chuckled. "Hoping to skip my parents' blessing, huh?" She teased.

"No..." He trailed off. "I was just being very optimistic." He gave her an innocent look.

Kate rolled her eyes. "All right, drive, Writer-Man."

"Yes, ma'am," He obeyed, starting the ignition.

"So, what should I wear exactly?" Kate quizzed.

Rick shrugged. "Something formal, a dress or something."

Kate nodded. "So, do you want me to come to your place or do you want to pick me up?"

Rick thought for a moment before responding. "Can you come to my place? The restaurant is closer to me."

"Okay," Kate hummed. "What time are the reservations?"

"Six o' clock sharp." Rick turned onto her street. "So hopefully you won't take too long getting ready. I know you girls tend to do that," he teased.

The brunette snorted. "Only because guys expect us to made up for them and are horrified if we don't wear makeup."

"Hey," Rick protested. "I think you look perfectly fine without makeup on. You don't wear a lot to begin with."

Kate smiled. "I know." She looked out the window. "Well, this is me." She got out of the car and Rick followed her.

"Let me walk you to the door," he said, taking her hand.

Kate smiled at Rick being a gentleman. When they reached the door, she turned to him.

"I think tonight was successful," she murmured leaning into him.

"I think so too," he replied, before leaning into kiss her.

They lips moved together in sync, his fingers immediately getting lost in her hair. Her tongue skimmed his lips and he opened his mouth. Their tongues then played with each other, exploring the other's mouth. A slight moan escaped both of them as their hands began to explore one another. Rick's hands were on her hips and Kate lowered her hand onto his waist and the other began to travel up his shirt slightly. After a few moments, they broke apart, their forward resting against each other's.

"Goodnight," she whispered, her eyes heavy with desire. Rick had to stop himself from attacking her more. He was pretty sure his eyes reflected the same.

"Goodnight." He stroked her cheek, before leaving the stoop. When he got into his car, he stayed to make sure she got inside safely. He looked to where her apartment was and smiled when he saw the light go on a few minutes later. He then drove away, looking forward to their date.

* * *

"I hope you have something decent to wear," her best friend spoke over the phone.

Kate chuckled. "Relax, Lanie, I am perfectly capable of dressing myself." It was Friday and Kate was getting ready for her date. Already showered, Kate had about an hour left before she had to leave.

"I would help you, but I have my own date tonight," Lanie responded.

"Where is he taking you this time?" Kate inquired, shifting through her closet for a dress.

"Um, I think a place called Battery Gardens. It's in Battery Park City."

"Hmm, never been," Kate responded, pulling out a red dress and smiled. "What are you wearing?"

"I might go with this strapless blue dress I have. You?"

"I just found a red one I haven't worn in a while." Kate held up the dress, examining it. It was strapless with sequins decorating the upper part of the dress. The dress went down to her knees. She then looked for a pair of silver heels, which were probably in the abyss of her closet.

"I'm sure you look great in red," Lanie hummed. "How are you doing your hair?"

"I put it in a high bun," Kate responded. "You?"

"Just letting it fall loose. "

"Nice." Looking at the time, Kate saw that already forty minutes had passed. "I have to go. I need to leave soon."

"All right, good luck."

Kate gave her friend the same sentiment before hanging up. After putting on the dress and heels, she sprayed her hair with hairspray and applied some lip gloss. Grabbing her clutch and a white lace wrap she had found, Kate headed to her car. She drove to Rick's and exited the car. While entering the lobby of the building, she gave the doorman a quick hello a headed towards the elevator. Excitement traveled through her as the elevator neared the author's floor. When she got off the elevator, Kate was almost skipping when she arrived at his door. Composing herself, she knocked lightly,

"Hey," Rick said as he opened the door.

"Hey yourself. You ready to go?"

"Yep, just about. Come in for a few minutes." Rick gestured her inside. Kate then took a few moments to examine him. He wore a suit with a white shirt and no tie. His hair was combed slightly to the side. Kate thought he looked very handsome. "I'll be ready in a minute." Rick then disappeared into his study to where Kate assumed was his bedroom. As she waited, Kate took off her wrap and placed it on the couch. It had gotten warmer out, so she figured she would not need it. Rick returned to living room, and took Kate's hand. "Ready to go?"

Kate nodded. "You look very handsome by the way."

Rick grinned. "I know." This earned him an eye roll. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks." They went to her car, Rick getting in the driver's seat. "Have you ever been to this place before?"

"Once with Gina." Kate tried to keep her expression neutral, since she knew she shouldn't be surprised he took another woman to the restaurant. "It was at her insistence actually. Gina liked to indulge in my money. However with you, it's different. I actually want to go." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

Kate grinned at him, enjoying his explanation. The rest of the ride was spent in a comfortable silence. Kate could feel the buzz that was always there between them. When they pulled up to the restaurant, Rick got out and opened the door for Kate.

"I guess chivalry isn't dead," Kate teased, giving him a wink.

"Not with me it's not," Rick said as they entered the restaurant. When they got inside, Kate observed their surroundings. The walls were made of stone, and there was carpeting. Beautiful stained glass windows decorated the walls, small slits of light filtering through the windows. The bar was on the main floor, with a second floor, that looked strangely like hayloft.

"Reservations for two under Rodgers," Rick said politely to the host. The host told them to follow him and they obeyed.

"Rodgers?" Kate looked at him in confusion.

"My original name," Rick explained. "I use it when I don't want the paparazzi to go after me. This place is fairly unassuming on the outside, but I'm still careful."

Kate nodded, and then frowned, remembering what her mother told her. "Do the paparazzi bother you often?"

Rick sighed, clearly seeing where the conversation was going. "Usually when I'm at major functions or dating someone new." He eyed her carefully as they were seating at the table on the second floor. They were handed menus, but neither of them opened theirs.

"How much do they bother your newest attachment?" She grimaced, hating what she was insulating.

"Usually not much, since they're usually known enough, but..." he trailed off.

"I would be like shark bait," she grumbled.

Rick sighed and took her hand. "Probably yes. However, I will try my best to keep you out of it. I've been able to do it with Alexis. When they do bother us, we'll work through it together."

Kate nodded and accepted his answer. "So, on a lighter note, what's good here?"

Rick's face took on a relieved expression as he recommended a few dishes to her. Kate liked that he was so happy, and she felt comfortable with him. The small candle helped the atmosphere as the glow of flame helped give a feeling of intimacy. Once they ordered their drinks and their food, they continued their conversation.

"So, now that you know my secret, will you tell me one of yours?" Kate asked, giving him a teasing smile.

"Well, I'm sometimes disappointed in the fact that I don't have a father." Kate could tell he was trying to play it off, but she could see the sadness in his had an overwhelming desire to take it away. "When I went to boarding school, parents would visit their kids during the holidays. I would look at all the kids greeting their parents who walked through the door with smiles on their faces. Sometimes I would wish that one day he would show up to surprise me and apologize for leaving Mother and I, but I knew it would never happen." Kate gently squeezed his hand. "Most of the time though, I don't mind. I can pretend to make him whomever I want. A CIA agent, an astronaut, a spy."

Kate chuckled, knowing only Rick could come up with those ideas. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost either of my parents," Kate mused, and then shook her head of the terrifying thought. "I almost did," she said softly

Rick nodded. "Well, both of you are alive and well." He smiled at her. Soon they were served their meals. They ate for a few moments in silence, before Rick spoke, saying,

"So, how is work so far? I know you said that you're prepping the kids for tests."

Kate shrugged. "Yeah, that's pretty much it, besides other assignments. I just hope I don't get bombarded with last minute questions. Although, I probably will."

Rick chuckled. "Kids usually do that. Alexis is prepping for the AP exam in European History. She's a little stressed, but I'm sure she'll do fine. Right now though, I'm hoping I don't find any dead bodies when I get home."

"Why?"

"She's trying to finish up that project I told you about. Apparently, her partner was running really late when I left."

Kate nodded in understanding. "I don't usually give group projects, I find it causes a lot of drama."

"Good choice," Rick joked.

Kate took another bite of her food, which was bass, and became embarrassed when she let out a light moan. "This food is so good." She frowned when she realized that she finished off her plate.

"I knew you would like it." Rick chuckled before cleaning his own plate. "So, dessert?" He asked, his tone seductive.

"Definitely," Kate murmured, giving him an enticing look. She held back a smirk as Rick swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. "You know what I could really go for?" She slowly trailed her foot up his leg, looking at him from underneath her lashes.

"What?" He squeaked.

"A really nice big," she murmured leaning forward. "Piece of chocolate cake!" She snickered at Rick's bewildered and then disappointed expression.

"Evil woman," he huffed.

"Once again, you're too easy," she chuckled and then motioned the waiter over. After ordering their perspective desserts, Kate looked at their surroundings. "The way the restaurant looks is interesting."

Rick nodded. "It was actually Aaron Burr's carriage house."

Kate nodded. "I'm guessing this floor was the hayloft?"

"Yep," Rick grinned. "They even kept the old doors."

Kate smiled, remembering that the entrance doors looked like they came from a carriage house.

"Were the windows here originally?" She said, gesturing to the colored glass.

Rick shrugged. "I doubt it. They are beautiful though, aren't they?"

"Yes." However, when Kate looked at him, she realized he wasn't talking about the windows. She smiled and grinned when the waiter came with their desserts, Rick's being creme brûlée and Kate's being chocolate cake. As they are their food, they each gave the other a piece to taste. When they were done, Rick paid the bill. Kate's fingers itched to reach for her wallet, but stopped herself, remembering her mother's advice.

Rick looped his arm through Kate's as they left the restaurant. They rode together in silence, just enjoying each other's company. When they reached the loft, Rick turned to Kate and gave her a teasing smile.

"Would you like to come in?" He asked, making his tone seductive.

Kate chuckled. "Expecting something Mr. Castle?" She then rolled her eyes at Rick's pout. "I need to go up there anyway, I left my wrap on your couch."

The couple then entered his building and went into the elevator. As they rode up, Kate could feel the buzz between them grow stronger, and she had to stop herself from pushing him up against the wall and kissing him senseless. The way Rick looked at her during the ride up, his eyes shining with desire, made her know he felt the same way. When they reached his apartment and entered it. Kate immediately went to retrieve her wrap. As she bent over to pick it up, she felt two arms hold her hostage and lips softly kiss her neck.

"Stay," he murmured, turning her around to face him. He then kissed her lips, before trailing down to her neck.

Kate chuckled. "Mmm, as nice as that sounds, I'm not sure if I should." She hated feeling this way. She wanted to sleep with him, she did, her fingers practically wanting to rip his clothes off. However, she normally waited until the third date to sleep with a man.

"I'll make you pancakes in the morning." He tried to convince her as his hand pushed up the hem of her dress.

"Mmm," she said and let out a soft gasp as he nipped at a sensitive spot on her neck. "You getting very close to convincing me."

"With hot, delicious syrup," he purred in her ear, making her shiver. He clearly was not talking about pancakes.

"Well, I think," Kate began huskily, slowing unbuttoning Rick's shirt almost halfway through. However she interrupted by a loud, female voice, yelling,

"Oh my God! " The girl exclaimed.

Kate and Rick broke apart immediately. Kate then swallowed nervously as she looked at the shocked face of Lisa Malince and the worried face of Alexis.

* * *

AN: So what did you think of the date? Good? Okay? Boring? As always constructive criticism is welcome.


	29. Chapter 28

AN:Happy 100th Castle! Thank you to those to those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. Thank you especially to caffeinate-me who read through whole story and gave me pointers. I am also looking for a beta for this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 28

Alexis stopped mid-step on the staircase as Lisa let her exclamation slip. The red-head had been unaware of the couple until then. Now, as she currently stared at a frazzled Rick and Kate, both trying to straighten their clothes, thoughts of worry flitted through her mind. What would Lisa say?

Alexis and Lisa had left the younger Castle's bedroom with the intention of taking a break from the project they had been at for hours. They were almost done, and the girls were starting to lose their minds. Figuring a little reprieve would help them, the two girls had headed down to the kitchen. Unfortunately, Alexis had not counted on her dad and Kate being back so early.

"What, you two are-" Lisa stuttered, gaping at the couple in front of her.

Kate, who seemed to have recovered quickly, spoke first.

"Together? Yes, we are." Determination flickered in the brunette's eyes.

Narrowed eyes were then directed towards the teacher. "You're not even trying to hide it?" Lisa inquired.

Alexis' father shrugged. "What's there to hide? You clearly saw us."

Mouth set into a frown, Lisa's eyes slowly traveled back and forth between the two adults.

"Is this," a hand was waved in front of the couple. "Even allowed?"

"I don't think that's any of your business." Kate's tone was cool, firm.

"I'm going to assume 'no' then." A glare was then directed at the red-head by her classmate. "Did you know about this?"

"Yep." No shame colored the red-head's tone.

"How long?" It was not a question, more of a demand.

Alexis was amused by the answers that were given.

"One month."  
"Two months."

The couple then turned to each other simultaneously.

"Two months?" Kate looked at the author with an entertained expression.

"What? I count that Valentine's Day dance as our first date, sort of," Rick explained, earning himself an eye roll.

"Whatever," Lisa huffed and then she smirked. "Oh, wait until the kids hear about this on Monday!"

"You can't say anything!" Alexis almost yelled.

"Why not? It's not like you can stop me."

Alexis face twisted into a scowl. There had been so much interference between her father and Kate for a chance at happiness, and the teen was sick of it.

"It's my word against yours," the teenager stated calmly. "Plus, who would believe you anyway?" The other teen let out a snort. Seeing that nothing was getting through, the young Castle decided to play the sympathy card. "If you tell anyone, Miss Beckett could lose her job." Lisa's softening expression showed that Alexis' plan was working. The red-head knew that Lisa's father was out of work and had been for almost a year. "Do you know how hard it will be for her to acquire a job if you do that?"

A soft sighed emanated from the girl's lips. "Very hard," she whispered. "I just don't get it though." Lisa addressed the couple. "What is so fantastic about her? She isn't exactly model material."

"You need to learn to look beyond that," the teacher stated, keeping a tight grip n Rick's hand. "As cliché as it sounds, you shouldn't judge people by their looks." Alexis smiled as Rick then wrapped his arms around Kate's waist.

"They can turn out to be pretty extraordinary," her father murmured.

"I wouldn't go that far," Kate chuckled, smiling.

"I'm assuming that for you it's not about the money," Lisa guessed, addressing Kate.

"He could be destitute and I wouldn't care."

Lisa looked at the couple, an expression of awe forming on her face, from what Alexis was unsure. Lisa then massaged her temple with her index finger. "Ugh, fine, I won't tell anyone. As long as you don't give me a reason to."

The relief that entered the atmosphere was palpable to the red-head. The shoulders of the couple relaxed and her father's hold on his girlfriend loosened.

"Well, now that that's over with," Alexis said. "Do you still want that snack we were planning to get?"

Lisa nodded. "Yeah, I'm definitely getting hungry."

"There's ice cream in the freezer," Rick said, opening up the refrigerator. Besides regular food, there was any type of ice cream flavor that a person could want. "The toppings are below." Alexis snickered as Kate's eyes grew wide at the sight.

"What did you do? Buy a whole ice cream shop?" the teacher inquired.

"No," Rick said simply. "I almost bought out the whole aisle in the store though." Her father could be such a child sometimes.

"Dad likes to experiment with different flavor combinations," little Castle explained.

"Can I try some?" Lisa asked. Rick just grinned before pulling out random cartons.

"How about you, Kate, do you want some?" Rick asked.

The brunette patted her stomach, rolling her eyes. "No thanks, I'm still full from dinner." Turning to the girls, she asked, "What are you guys working on anyway?"

"We're working on a family tree for one of the royal families," Alexis groaned.

"Ugh, please don't mention it. My head still hurts from trying to connect all the relatives. The family we were assigned apparently didn't go outside of the family to procreate. Everyone is either a cousin or some other type of relative!" Lisa exclaimed, exasperated.

Kate let out chuckle. "Ah, the good old days of European history. I would help if I could, but I was never big on British history. I was more into Russian literature and history."

"Russian literature, huh?" Rick teased, playfully teasing Kate, who had joined him at the counter.

"It's interesting," Kate stated. "There's just something about it that has always fascinated me."

"What my books aren't fascinating enough? And don't try to lie, I saw your bookshelf when I visit your apartment. You have quite the collection."

"Yes, I know. I sometimes read the classic Russian books when I get tired of reading Patterson's novels."

Rick scoffed. "Patterson's writing is menial compared to mine."

"I would agree, but then your ego would inflate," the teacher said wryly.

Alexis observed the couple, extremely amused, and she could tell Lisa was too.

Alexis found it effortless to be around Kate, even outside of school. The younger Castle was glad that her dad had met someone he could connect with easily, especially in such a menial amount of time. Alexis could tell that the brunette was different from the other woman her father brought home. The teen knew that her father tried to shield her from his playboy life, but it was hard to, especially since the loft walls were not exactly sound proof and his picture decorated the tabloids frequently.

However, Kate was different. She was not after money or her fifteen minutes of fame. In fact, Alexis was pretty sure that Kate would shy away from the paparazzi of the brunette was ever confronted with them. Alexis enjoyed the fact that Kate could fearlessly go toe to toe with father, and not back down. She did not hang on his every word, but did seem to be frank with him occasionally. However, the teacher also seemed supportive of the author. She had permitted him to write the Tori Viper book after all.

The one thing though that thrilled Alexis the most was that Kate seemed to interact with the teenager with ease. Kate never made it seem like she was forcing herself to talk to Alexis or spend time with her. All the other woman ignored Alexis, only wanting her father. Along with her absentee mother, and Gina who had never bothered to get to know Alexis, the red-head had never truly had a maternal figure to look up to. She knew she had Grams, but the elder Rodgers was never really role model material. At the moment, Kate seemed to be the closest thing Alexis had to a maternal figure and idol. The teenager just hoped that the brunette was in it with her father for the long run.

The red-head was drawn out thoughts by an 'hmmm' from Lisa.

"This is really good, what is it?"

"Raspberry, birthday cake, and s'mores," Rick responded. "Are you sure you don't want any Kate?"

"I'm sure, in fact, I need to get going," the teacher replied. "I had a really good time tonight, I'll talk to you tomorrow." Smiling, she gave Rick a kiss on lips, probably far more chaste than she wanted.

"Want me to walk you to your car?"

"No, I'm fine, I'll text you when I get home." Kate gave him another kiss before picking up her shawl and turning to leave. "Enjoy your ice cream!" Opening the door, she waved goodbye and left. Alexis turned back to her father to see a goofy grin on his face.

She really did hope that Kate would stick around.

* * *

AN: I am not really satisfied with this chapter. The main point was to get Alexis' thoughts across. Anyway, as always, constructive critics, is welcome.


	30. Chapter 29

Sorry for the long wait guys, thing have gotten really busy at school. Anyway, I hope this makes up for it. Thank you so much to Xx-Regina-Phalange-xX for being my beta. Also, a big thanks to dtrekker and her Yoda powers for providing me with the awesome cover art! As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle. If I did, they would have talked last night.

* * *

Chapter 29

The next three weeks flew by quickly as Kate prepared the AP students for their exam in May. She assigned extra packets with review questions for homework and made them analyze short stories in class. Both her and her students were under a tremendous amount of stress, especially since it was the first time the brunette taught an AP class. She prayed that every student passed or got a high grade; She would surely be in hot water if they did not. The school had the reputation of maintaining the highest AP scores in the state, and Kate did not want to screw that up. In the end though, she knew it came down to the students and their abilities.

Now, it was the day of the test, and the English teachers were sitting in the library keeping an eye on the students. The anxious seniors had armed themselves with an array of pencils and pens, the objects becoming victims of the teeth of the teenagers.

Kate sat in one of the chairs, grading some work while checking on the  
students occasionally. The library was so quiet that she almost jumped  
when she felt a vibration in her back pocket. She wanted to chuckle, since she already knew who it was. While cautiously looking around, she took out her phone and sent a quick text that said the following:

'_Can't talk now, proctoring the AP test.'_

A few seconds later, she received a text back.

'_Oh, sorry. Call me back later, I want to talk to you about something.'_

'_What?'_

'_Nothing bad, you'll like it, I promise. :)'_

'_If you say so. ;)'_

Kate then quickly put her phone away, checking to make sure that no one saw her. She then relaxed in the wooden chair she was sitting in preparing herself for another three hours.

They passed extremely slowly, with Kate constantly peeking at the clock. She let out a huge sigh of relief when time was called and the students gathered up their things. She felt bad for all of them as they walked out the door, since they all looked like the walking dead. All of the teachers gathered up the papers, and handed them to Daniel on their way out. Daniel gave Kate a slight wink when she handed him her stack. She just gave him an eye roll in return.

The rest of the day passed without incident. Kate chatted with Lanie, whose relationship had been going well. In fact, after their date a few weeks before, she and Javier had taken their relationship to the next level. According to Lanie, Javier was very good with his hands. When inquired about her own relationship status, Kate expressed her disappointment in the fact that things had not gone any further. Lanie just patted her friend's knee sympathetically and told her it would come in time.

The moment Kate arrived at her apartment after school, she called Rick.

"Hello beautiful," he answered jovially.

Kate chuckled. "Hey yourself. How are you?" she asked. The communication between the couple had been scarce the past few weeks. Kate had been overburdened with test prep, and Rick had been finishing up his book, which Kate genuinely hoped he did.

"Good, sent the final copying of my book off to Gina last week. Hopefully, that's the last I hear from her for a while," He grumbled.

Kate laughed softly, shaking her head, before getting to the point. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" She said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Right to the point, huh?" Rick said, his voice teasing. He paused. "Anyway, I know it's a month away, but I was wondering if you had any plans for summer vacation?"

"Um, no why?" She asked, confused. Why would he ask her that?

"Well, it's just that Alexis, Mother, and I go out to the Hamptons every  
summer. I was wondering if you would like to join us?" he asked, hesitantly.

"Really?" Kate's expression morphed into one of surprise.

"Yep, you, me, and my family staying in my luxurious house. So, what do you say?"

Kate chuckled and then bit her lip. "Ok, I'll be sure to bring my skimpy, black bikini." She could have sworn she heard the author squeak, which made her laugh.

"Evil woman," he whined. "Don't think I've erased memories of last time. Far from it actually."

Kate burst out laughing. "Aw, poor baby," she said. Truthfully, she had frequently thought about that night too. A slight blush formed on her face she remembered her fantasies. Most of them ended with them in bed, uninterrupted for the rest of the night. "Maybe I can make it better while we're out there," she said in a seductive tone.

"That's it, I'm hanging up if you're going to tease me like this," Rick said.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop." Kate let out a soft chuckle. "So, anyway, when are you planning on going out?"

"Whenever you're ready to, I suppose."

"Well, I have to grade finals and state exams, so probably by the second week of June maybe?"

"We'll talk about it more as the date gets closer," Rick said. A second later, Kate heard a beep. Rick groaned. "It's Paula, I need to take this, unfortunately. Talk to you later."

"Bye," She said, before hanging up.

Kate relaxed against the counter and smiled. She was going to the Hamptons with Rick! She was sure she would have good time, especially with him. However, she frowned when she realized that she would probably be dealing with higher society. The richer people; the ones at Rick's level. Kate did not even want to begin to think about what would happen when they met her. She then sighed and shrugged, deciding that there was no point in dwelling on it. She went to prepare  
dinner, pushing all thoughts of the Hamptons aside. Well, maybe not all of them...

* * *

Earlier that day, Daniel sighed as he monitored a bunch of sophomores in study hall. Some were talking; others were working on homework, or rechecking finished work. The particular group of kids were not that exciting, so he rarely had to discipline them. At the moment, Daniel was placing the AP tests in an envelope to send upstate to be graded. As he did this, he eavesdropped on the students' conversations, something he did to amuse himself and get the latest scoop on the students. Most of them were talking about mundane things, but one conversation in particular caught his attention. It was between Alexis Castle and that other girl, Lisa something.

"So," he heard Lisa say. "Have you made any plans for the summer yet?"

"I'm going out to the Hamptons with my dad as I always do." Alexis said. Daniel resisted the urge to snort. It must be nice to be rich.

"Is it just you two or," Lisa lowered her voice to the point where Daniel could barely hear her. "Are there others coming?"

"Gram might come, I'm not sure." A confused tone colored Alexis' voice. "Why?"

"I was just wondering if, you know, a certain person was coming?" Daniel had to stop himself from leaning forward with interest.

"Oh," Alexis said, obviously realizing who it was Lisa was talking about. "I'm not sure. I know my dad planned to ask. I hope so though, it would be nice."

"You mean it wouldn't bother you?" Lisa said. Her tone hinted at disbelief.

"No. I mean, Dad is happy, so who am I to deny him that? Also, I really do like her. I wouldn't mind if she came." Daniel fidgeted slightly, impatiently. Who was this woman?

"Do you when she'll come, if she does?"

"Probably once she is done with work."

"Yeah, grading does take a lot of time," Lisa grumbled. Suddenly, there was soft whack and low 'ow' emanated from Lisa. Daniel had to stop himself from grinning, already figuring out who the topic of interest was.

"Be careful what you say," Alexis warned. "I don't want them getting into trouble."

"Sorry," Lisa grumbled, returning to her book.

Daniel then leaned back in his chair, trying to prevent a smirk forming on  
his face. If what he was hearing was correct, Katherine Beckett had lied to him. That sly woman had put on act of being rejected very well, it seemed. Then again, she probably did not need much practice in the first place. That scar on her face made her look fairly hideous, but the rest of her body was still hot. The English teacher had frequent fantasies about the brunette and the things she could do for him in his office, or better yet, his apartment. Daniel was not used to constant rejection. The women usually gave in eventually. Kate was the only female to constantly reject him, and it bruised his ego severely. It surprised him that the author of such high social status would even bother to chase after her for something beyond sex. Oh, well, to each his own. However, with this new piece of information he had, Daniel knew he could very well get Kate back and forever break the couple up. He just needed to figure out how to use it first.

* * *

Yes, more Daniel trouble. Don't worry, he won't be around for much longer, I promise. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	31. Chapter 30

AN: I am so sorry for the slow update! I was swamped with end of year work, plus I'm graduating next week, so things have been hectic. Anyway, I hope this sort of makes up for the long absence. Thank you to Regina Phalanges for betaing this! As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Kate chuckled and shook her head as her friend meticulously went through her suitcase.

"Good," Lanie said, nodding in approval as she held up a blue tank top.

"What are you? My stylist?" Kate teased as Lanie pulled out another article of clothing.

"You are going to the Hamptons. I am just making sure that you have the appropriate attire."

Kate rolled her eyes and smiled. It was a week before Kate and Rick were supposed to go to the Hamptons, since Kate had a feeling she would be finished with work by then. The only thing she had to do was proctor the English final and grade it. After that, she was free to go gallivanting off with Rick to his summer retreat home. However, Lanie had insisted she pack a week prior to the trip and shehad taken it upon herself to become the official inspector of the suitcase.

"I can dress myself you know," Kate replied wryly.

Lanie turned to face her and raised an eyebrow. "Really, because so far I have had to pull out five items that are not Hamptons worthy."

"_You_ don't think they're Hamptons worthy," Kate corrected, snickering.

"I doubt a white blouse with long sleeves is something you wear to the Hamptons. You would be sweating. Not very attractive." Lanie put another article of clothing back in the leather suitcase. "Speaking of attractive, please tell me you have better lingerie," Lanie sniffed, holding up a pair of black, Cotten boy shorts.

"What? They're not that bad."

"Please, what you need is lace and satin. You do want to take the relationship to take it to the next level, don't you?"

"Well, yes," Kate started as Lanie shifted through the the brunette's underwear drawer.

"Then spice it up a little," Lanie insisted as she pulled out a red, lace bra with matching panties. "How about this?"

Kate chuckled. The particular set happened to be one of her favorites. "That's good, but I actually have something better." She went into her closet, and shuffled around, looking for a particular box. Once she found it, Kate pulled it out and placed it on the bed.

"What's that?" Lanie inquired as Kate lifted the lid of the box.

"I bought this a while ago, when I was with my former boyfriend." Kate frowned, stroking the blue satin. "I never got to use it though," she said quietly.

"Well, now you can use it!"

"It is nice but," Kate trailed off.

"But what?"

"I bought it for someone else. It would be weird if I used it for Rick now. It would be better if I buy something specifically for him," Kate mused.

"Well then, that is your new homework assignment," Lanie hummed as she closed the box. "Find something for that your writer might enjoy, for duration of the time it stays on, of course." Lanie winked.

"Okay, okay. I'll go to Victoria's Secret or something over the weekend." Kate shook her head, smiling.

"Good, and send me a picture of it!"

"Okay, Miss Pushy," Kate said, throwing a pair of sandals in the suitcase.

"I'm just trying to help you out, that's all." Lanie held up her hands in defense.

"I know," Kate chuckled, giving her friend a grateful smile. "I'm still trying to get used to it a little."

"Well, better make it quick, because I have a feeling there will be a lot more of these," Lanie joked, gesturing toward the suitcase.

"Maybe," Kate hummed, zippering up the suitcase.

"At least you packed a bikini."

"Well, I may have teased him about that one over the phone."

Lanie raised an eyebrow, her eyes shone with interest and mischief. "You two getting busy on the phone? A little late night pillow talk perhaps?"

"No, no, nothing like that." Kate chuckled. "I just tease him whenever he calls. We haven't traveled into that territory, yet." Her co-worker smirked.

"You want to see what you're dealing with first, huh? Not up to using your imagination?"

Kate blushed slightly. "No, I just don't want our first time to be over the phone." It was true. It was not like Kate had not used her imagination though, especially when she re-read the more sensuous scenes in Rick's books and replaced the characters with her and Rick.

"Understandable," Lanie said, before picking up the wine glass that she had placed on Kate's dresser.

"Anyway," Kate started, wanting to get the focus off of her. "Do you have any plans for the summer?"

"Well, since not all of us have boyfriends who can whisk us away to his summer home," Lanie shot the brunette a playful glare, which earned her an eye roll. "I will probably be hanging out and go on some dates with Javi. Also, there is still some work that needs to be done for school."

"Oh yeah, the syllabus for next year," Kate stated, realizing she had completely forgotten about them. "I'll just bring my laptop with me and do it whenever I have time."

"You better make time, administration usually wants the syllabus by the middle of August, in case they want to tweak it."

"I will." Kate chuckled. "So, no plans then?"

"Nope," Lanie said, shaking her head. "Text me when you have a chance; I want to know all the dirty details of your activities." She waggled her eyebrows and winked.

"Okay." Kate rolled her eyes, placing her suitcase next to her nightstand. "We won't be alone all the time though since Martha and Alexis will be there. Also, I do want to actually explore the Hamptons."

Lanie nodded. "It's supposed to be really beautiful during the summer, especially with the beaches. I'm sure you'll have a great view of the sunset everyday." Kate nodded in agreement, a content smile on her face. "You really are thrilled about this trip, aren't you?"

"Yep," Kate stated, walking out of her bedroom. "It just makes everything seem more real, I guess." She walked over to granite kitchen counter and placed her wine glass on it.

"So," Lanie started, assessing her friend carefully. "You're not having any second thoughts? No reservations?"

"No, not really." Kate leaned against the counter. "I mean, I am a little worried about how many women he has brought there, but not enough to get cold feet." Kate was not naïve. She knew he had been a bit of a player, but she knew it was pointless stressing over it. What was more important was the fact that she would be one he was taking out there for the whole summer. She would be the one he ate breakfast with and walked along the beach with. She would also hopefully be the one he woke up next to each morning for almost three months. Those images were enough to dispel any negative or unsure thoughts she had.

"I'm proud of you, Girl!" Lanie exclaimed, a huge smile on her face. "Your confidence has definitely boosted within the past few months. The man really has done wonders for you."

Kate nodded, a content expression forming on her face. "Yeah, I know," she sighed blissfully. She raised an eyebrow when Lanie gave a her a knowing look. "What?"

"You have it bad," Lanie teased.

"So do you," Kate shot back teasingly.

"Yep. Look at us, two women in relationships with great men," Lanie started. "Who we have wrapped around our fingers."

Kate let out a loud laugh and held up her empty wine glass. "I'll toast to that."

* * *

Rick held back a sigh as he listened to the other person on the other end of the phone prattle on, or rather berate him.

"I don't see what the issue is, Rick," his agent said impatiently. The author rolled his eyes, spinning around in his chair.

"I told you, Paula, I want to wait until September to release the book," Rick stated, his tone impatient. Both him and Paula had been arguing for fifteen minutes about when to release his book. Paula wanted to do it within the coming weeks, while Rick wanted to wait until September.

"But if you do it this month, fans will grab it before they go off on vacation. It's perfect," Paula tried to reason, but Rick shook his head, even though she could not see it.

"No. The fans have my other book, theycan revel in that for a few more months." His tone was firm. "I want some time off for a bit. I've been focused on the book non-stop, and would like some time away it from it."

"But-" Paula started to protest.

"No buts. My only plans for the summer are to go out to the Hamptons with my family and my girlfriend."

"I figured she had something to do with this," Paula sniffed. "Which reminds me, when do I get to meet the little tart that has you so distracted?"

"She is not a 'little tart'," Rick said, gritting his teeth. "Also, I wouldn't exactly call writing a whole a novel a 'distraction'."

"Whatever," Paula said dismissively. "When do I get to meet her?"

"When she's ready or at the launch party." Whichever came first, Rick thought.

"Fine," Paula grumbled. "I just hope she's worth all the hype you're giving her."

"Oh she is," Rick assured her. To him, Kate was worth all the hype in world. Paul-well, Paula was always hard to please.

"Whatever you say," Paula grumbled. "Anyway, I need to go. I'll call you when I get details for the venue."

"At the end of August hopefully," Rick warned.

"Fine, fine," she said, exasperated. "Bye."

"Bye, Paula." Rick said, hanging up. He sighed as he put down the phone. As good as Paula was at her job, she could get on his nerves sometimes. Rick turned around in his chair and saw his mother standing in the doorway. Rick raised an eyebrow. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," his mother stated. She walked over to his desk and sat on it. "So, that was Paula?"

"Yeah. She wants to move the book release to this month, but I'd rather not."

"Understandable," Martha said nodding.

"She also wants to meet Kate," Rick grumbled.

"Ah, I see." The elder woman nodded sagely. "You know you can't hide Kate forever, Darling."

"I know, I know," Rick sighed. "I would rather have a little more 'just us' time though."

"Which is completely warranted," Martha said, patting his hand. "However, you should prepare for when the time comes, and so should Kate. People, especially Paula, will want to meet your muse/girlfriend."

"I just don't want to scare Kate off."

"I think she's pretty much beyond scaring off at this point, Kiddo." Martha gave him a small smile.

"I hope so." He sighed. Rick could see that Kate had grown more assured of their relationship within the past few weeks. However, she could still run if she had the chance to. He hoped the trip to the Hamptons would change his uneasiness and solidify their relationship.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Martha assured him.

"I'm sure you're right." Rick nodded. He then furrowed his eyebrows in confusion when his phone started to vibrate. Looking at the number on the screen, he frowned. "Castle," he answered.

"Mr. Castle? This is Mr. Keating, the principal of Marlowe Prep." Rick frowned. Alexis was supposed to be taking some of her finals that day.

"Is everything all right? Is Alexis okay?" Rick asked, immediately worried. He was about to ask about Kate, but had to stop himself.

"Unfortunately, there has been an issue that has been brought to my attention," the principal stated grimly.

"What is it?" Rick looked at his mother, who had a look of concern on her face.

"It would be better if this was discussed in person. Could you please come to the school and meet me in my office?"

"Yes, of course," Rick replied, immediately getting up and beginning to leave his office. His mother followed behind him. "I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

"Yes, I will see you then." The principal hung up and Rick sighed.

"What was that about?" Martha inquired, a curious expression on her face.

"I don't know, but I'm about to find out," Rick replied, before heading out the door. As he walked to the school, Rick hoped that everything was okay, with both Alexis and Kate.

* * *

AN: So, good, bad, adequate? I know there has been a lot of angst floating around due to Watershed, so I'll try my best to get away from the drama for a bit once this portion of the story is done. Updates should return to being once a week. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	32. Chapter 32

AN: I am really sorry for the long wait everyone. I had writer's block with this chapter and was trying to make it believable. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me for thirty chapters. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

* * *

Chapter 31

Kate smiled in satisfaction as she packed up the last of her things on her desk. It was the day before Rick was supposed to pick her up for the Hamptons, and Kate was eager to start her summer. She felt a weight lift off her shoulders as she cleaned off her desk. It was the last day the brunette had to physically be in school. Any issues or questions that might crop up over the summer she planned to deal with by e-mail or phone. As she gathered her belongings, Kate heard a knock on the door frame. Turning around, she had to stop a frown from forming when she saw Daniel standing there.

"Yes, Daniel?'' she asked politely.

"Mr. Keating wants to see you," he stated simply, gesturing her to follow him.

Kate furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. What could Keating want to see her for? She had turned everything in and the grades were done for the English department. However, Kate followed her colleague without question, hoping that she was not in trouble or anything. The brunette almost laughed at her train of thought, feeling like a student being sent to the principal's office.

They arrived at the principal's office door a few minutes later. As Kate reached for the doorknob, she could feel Daniel right on top of her.

"Good luck," he said in her ear, giving her butt a light squeeze. Kate stiffened, quickly swatting his hand away. She glared at him before opening the door and plastering a smile on her face. When she entered, she was surprised to see two very familiar people sitting in the chairs across from Mr. Keating's large desk.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Kate asked the principal. Rick turned around at the sound of her voice and smiled, but then looked at her in confusion. The brunette shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Yes," Mr. Keating started, gesturing toward the chair next to his desk. "Please sit down." After obeying, her boss continued. "A very serious issue has come to my attention. Now, granted, I am not fully convinced myself that anything has happened, but Mr. Lacosta here seems to think otherwise." Mr. Keating glanced up at the department head.

"What exactly is the issue?" Kate questioned.

"Alexis here has been accused of cheating on the English final," the principal stated, frowning.

"Cheating? Alexis?" Kate said in a shocked tone. "Sir, with all due respect, I highly doubt that Alexis Castle would cheat." As she said this, Kate saw out of her peripheral vision a smile twitch at Rick's lips.

"And she is vehemently denying it also," Daniel stated.

"That's because I didn't cheat," Alexis interrupted quickly, clearing rowing upset. Kate frowned, hating to see the girl upset.

"Why do you think she cheated?" Kate questioned.

"Because as I was looking over the grades," Daniel started. "I found that she had to highest grade of everyone in the sophomore class."

"So?" Rick stated. "Alexis studies hard for her tests, it wouldn't surprise me if she did get the highest grade."

"I myself am having a hard time believing that Alexis would cheat," the principal stated. "This is why Mr. Lacosta suggested that there may be another reason why Alexis's grade is so high. This is why you're here, Miss. Beckett."

"What could I have done?"

"You're the one who graded her test," Daniel pointed out.

"So? I followed the answer key, and I didn't change anything," Kate answered truthfully.

Daniel narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure about that? You weren't tempted to change a few answers or let some mistakes slide to give Miss Castle here bonus points?"

Kate felt her temper flare up at the man's accusations, but kept her composure.

"I'm sure, I kept the grading honest." The brunette kept herself calm. "What motive would I have to do that anyway?" The minute she asked the question, a sinister look appeared in Daniel's eyes and the brunette knew she had asked the wrong question.

"Yes, I'm failing to see any reason Ms. Beckett would have for doing that," Mr. Keating agreed.

Daniel smirked slightly, before saying, "Well, actually she does have a reason."

"And what would that be?" the principal asked.

"Simple, she and Mr. Castle are in a relationship."

Kate forced herself to keep her composure and she saw Rick stiffen slightly.

Mr. Keating raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any proof?"

Daniel furrowed his eyebrows. "Yes, I overheard Alexis talking to a fellow student about Mr. Castle inviting Miss. Beckett out to the Hamptons for the summer. Also, during the spring fling, both of them disappeared for about twenty minutes, after leaving the gym together." Daniel rolled his eyes and looked at Kate. "Did you really think your friend could distract me that easily?"

Mr. Keating glanced at both Rick and Kate, frowning. "Is this true? Are you two in a relationship?'

"No, they're not," Alexis said quickly. "I was joking around with my friend during study hall. They're not together."

Kate sighed. "Alexis, it's okay, you don't need to lie for us." She smiled softly at the teenager, before turning back to her boss. "Yes, Sir, it's true, Mr. Castle and I are in a relationship. However, this does not have any effect on my work ethic." Daniel snorted, but she continued. "The only reason Mr. Lacosta brought this up is because I turned down his advances when I first arrived here."

The principal quickly glanced at the department head and pursued his lips. "Is this true?"

"No, I was simply trying to socialize with Ms. Beckett. Clearly she took it the wrong way," Daniel spat.

"I don't think I took it the wrong way when you tried to corner me in the English office." Kate narrowed her eyes. "Also, he grabbed my butt before we came in here." Rick scowled at the new information. "Mr. Lacosta has behaved in an unprofessional manner towards me from the time I arrived here. I realize that I should have filed for sexual harassment, but I figure he would stop. Unfortunately, I was severely wrong."

Mr. Keating massaged his temple with his with his fingers. "Alexis, you can wait outside, since you clearly haven't done anything wrong." Alexis nodded, giving both Kate and Rick a small smile before leaving. The principal then narrowed his eyes at Daniel. "And you," he started, annoyed.

"Me?" Surprise covered Daniel's face.

"Yes, you." Mr. Keating shook his head. "Ms. Beckett is the third teacher to accuse you of sexual harassment. I let it slide the first time, but the second time I looked into the accusations and found them to be true. Now that Ms. Beckett has accused you of it too, I have no choice but to ask you to resign."

"But-" Daniel started, flabbergasted.

Mr. Keating held up his hand, silencing the teacher. "No buts. I expect your letter of resignation to be on my desk no later than tomorrow afternoon. Pack up your things before you leave today, understood?"

Daniel sighed. "What about them?" He gestured toward the couple.

"I will take care of them," Mr. Keating said. "Now go."

Daniel sighed, shooting a glare towards Kate before sulking out of the room.

"Now you two," the principal said, looking at them with a raised eyebrow. "How long has this been going on?" He waved his hand between them.

"Officially? Two months," Kate stated. "We met in February and then things just progressed from there."

The principal sighed. "Even though it is never really spoken of, there is a policy that there is no fraternization between parents and teachers. Now, this is a tough decision for me to make in terms of letting you go. Not only have you received praise from both students and parents, but we also received the AP results. Most of the students in your class received a score of five, some students received a score of four. This is the highest number of perfect scores we have seen as of late."

Kate bit her lip. "Sir, we can be discreet, I promise. My relationship with Mr. Castle has not affected my work ethic, and nor will it ever."

"But I must follow school policy," Mr. Keating started, but Rick interrupted him.

"Mr. Keating," Rick started. "I think it would be in your best interest if you let Ms. Beckett keep her job. After all, she is making the school look good."

The principal pursued his lips. "What are you implying?"

"You did just say that because of Ms. Beckett, the students did extremely well on the AP exam," Rick pointed out. "Also, if both parents and students are praising her teaching, I do not think they will be too happy to see her go and will question why, especially since the last teacher was not up to par with her job." Mr. Keating nodded grudgingly in agreement. "Finally, it would be a shame to see some of the donators of the school, such as myself, disappear because a teacher was let go under questionable circumstances."

Kate had to make sure her jaw did not drop. She could not believe that Rick had just threatened her boss.

Mr. Keating sat back in his chair and sighed, staying silent for a few moments. He looked at the couple, clearly trying to make a decision. Kate had to keep her hands still from twiddling with nerves. She could feel Rick growing nervous by the moment as well. Finally, the principal leaned forward and spoke,

"Fine, you can keep your job." Kate could not hold back the smile that formed on her face. "However, there are a few conditions." The teacher nodded in understanding. "First, this relationship is to stay discreet and outside of school. This means no chaperoning any school events together. Also, you are allowed to teach Alexis, but you cannot grade any of her exams. Midterms, finals, and state tests will be graded by another teacher. Got it?"

Kate nodded. "Yes, Sir."

The principal nodded. "Good." He stood and held out his hand. "Now, I wish both of you a good summer and I expect to see you back here no later than September first."

Kate smiled and shook the outstretched hand. "Thank you, Sir." Rick did the same, before the couple walked out of the office.

Alexis, who had been leaning the wall, quickly grilled them for details.

"So? What happened? I saw Mr. Lacosta pouting as he left. Are you guys allowed to stay together?" The red head began to ramble.

"Yes, we are," Rick answered. "There are a few conditions,"

"But nothing major," Kate finished for him. "Just keep it discreet and I can't grade any official tests you take."

"You can still teach me, right?" Alexis inquired.

"Yep, you might be stuck with me," Kate joked.

Rick chuckled before saying, "Hey, why don't we start our vacation a little earlier?" Kate raised an eyebrow. "I can follow you in my car and we can pack up your stuff into my car and head out to the house tonight. I already packed my stuff in my car."

Kate cocked her head in thought. She would not mind starting her vacation a little earlier. Plus, she realized it gave her some extra alone time with Rick.

"Sure." She grinned. "I have my suitcase all packed and ready to go."

"We should be able to get there by the time it gets dark," Rick stated.

Alexis pouted. "I wish I could go with you, but I still have two finals left."

Rick gently patted her head. "It's only a few more days, Pumpkin. But, I'll miss you anyway."

His daughter chuckled. "Thanks, Dad."

Kate watched the interaction between father and daughter in slight amusement. Warmth filled her heart as the two bantered back and forth.

"Okay, you do want get there by dark, don't you?" Kate teased.

"Okay, Okay, I get the hint." Rick chuckled before heading out the door and into his car.

"See you a few days, Kate," Alexis said. Then, taking the brunette by surprise, Alexis hugged her. Kate was startled for a moment, before returning the gesture and smiled

"See you in a few days, Alexis."

After separating, Kate waved goodbye to the teen and headed off into her own car. When she got in, she checked to make sure Rick was ready before taking off to her apartment.

* * *

After successfully, and quickly packing her suitcase and other items into Rick's car, Kate hopped into the passenger side. The couple had ridden for a while, playing with the radio until they found a station they both liked. However, Rick had grown bored of listening to the music and opted for playing a game of 'I Spy'. Kate rolled her eyes at his childishness, but after a few rounds, found herself having fun.

"I spy with my little eye something with a P," Rick said excitedly.

"Is it the Pennsylvania license plate in front of us?"

"You're good."

Kate smirked. "No, you just make it easy." Rick pouted. "Now, let me see. I spy with my little eye something that is black and green."

"Hmm," Rick hummed. "That black Nissan with the green flames on the hood?"

"Yep." Kate grinned as she realized that they had entered the Hamptons.

"It shouldn't be long now," Rick said. "We made pretty good time. It's not even sunset and we're almost there!"

Kate smiled at him before looking out the window. The little town they drove through was quaint with small tourist shops lining the streets. There were family restaurants and cute little decorations between some of the shops. Soon, they were out of the town and into the residence area. Kate was impressed by some of the Victorian mansions that were plotted along the strip they drove. The houses were spread out from each other enough that each house could have some semblance of privacy. Soon, the couple pulled up to a large, brick house.

"This is your house?" Kate asked with wide eyes.

"Yep. Nice, isn't it?" Rick chuckled at the surprised expression on his girlfriend's face.

"Nice doesn't even begin to cover it," she responded as they got out of the car. She ignored Rick's snicker as he helped her with bring her things into the house.

"Where do you want your suitcase?" Rick asked, setting it down on the wood floor.

Kate bit her lip nervously, looking at him under her eyelashes. "Is your room okay? I mean if it's okay with you," she started. Kate internally groaned and told herself to man up. Where had all the confidence she had when shopping in Victoria's secret gone?

Rick chuckled. "My room is perfectly fine." He gently kissed her lips heading into his room with her suitcase. Kate followed him in and smiled at the homey feel she got the moment she stepped in the room. "Do you want the grand tour?"

"Sure, but don't you need to go food shopping?"

"No, Mother was up here earlier this week. She bought food to last us a week or two. Now, the tour?" Rick said, holding out his arm for her to take. Kate rolled her eyes, but played along.

To say the house was nice was an understatement, it was gorgeous. The house had a nice sized kitchen, living room, dining room, and five full bathrooms. Also, the view of the ocean and the beach from the balcony was beautiful. Kate itched to go out to the beach and run on the sand.

"Hey, come here," Rick said, gesturing toward the window in his bedroom. Kate followed the direction of his hand and found herself staring at a breathtaking sunset. The mixes of yellow and orange rays illuminated the sky and bounced off the water. A slight breeze blew from the ocean, tickling Kate's face.

"It's beautiful," she sighed as she felt the author's arms wrap around her.

Rick laid his chin on her shoulder before giving her neck a quick kiss. "Just think, we'll be able to see this every day for the next few months."

"Mmm, that sounds nice," she hummed, distracted by the feel of his body against hers.

"So, ready for your summer at the Casa de Castle to officially begin?"

"Yep," Kate said, turning around. "In fact, your cooking skills could be put to use; I'm starving."

"Aren't you going to help me?" He pouted.

"I'm going to get myself cleaned up. I'll be out in a few minutes," she said, quickly kissing him.

When she stepped into the bathroom, Kate quickly washed her face and hands. She did not clean up too much, knowing that the real preparation would be saved for later that night. Satisfied with her appearance, Kate went out and joined her boyfriend in the kitchen.

* * *

AN: So marks the start of the Hamptons vacation. The next chapter should definitely be up by next week. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	33. Chapter 33

AN: Sorry for the wait everyone! Thank you to those who have followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

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Chapter 32

Kate hummed as she took a bite of the pasta Rick had cooked. The sauce tomato sauce tasted delicious, and Rick said he and made it himself.

"This is so good." She took another mouthful.

"I'm glad you like it." Rick smiled. "I was aiming for something simple tonight."

Kate nodded. "Well, it tastes great."

"You're welcome."

As they ate, Kate recalled what happens earlier that day and frowned. Seeing this, Rick raised an eyebrow.

"I never actually thanked you for what you did in the office today," Kate said. "So, thank you very much."

"No thanks necessary." Rick chuckled. "Anything for you."

Kate smiled at his comment, her heart beating slightly quicker.

"You threatened to withhold donations from the school if I couldn't keep my job," Kate said. "I think that's a little farther than a normal boyfriend would go."

Rick shrugged. "You didn't do anything wrong, and they would eventually regret losing their best teacher." He chuckled before leaning forward and kissing her gently, slowly.

They kissed for a moment before Kate pulled back, smiling.

"Well, thank you." A mischievous twinkle appeared in her eyes. "I will definitely repay you later." She winked. She saw Rick's eyes darken and she could have sworn he swallowed a little. She chuckled before hopping off the bar stool.

"So, what do you want to do?" Rick asked as he cleaned up their plates. "Want to sit out on the deck for a while? There's still some light out."

Kate nodded before walking towards the French doors and sitting in of the chairs. She sighed and closed her eyes as she let the warm, summer breeze blow on her and she relaxed in the chair. A soft creaking sound let her know that Rick had joined her.

The sat in companionable silence for a moment, the connection between them a soft hum as they relaxed. Rick, of course, was the first one to break the silence.

"Have you been to the Hamptons?" he asked, curious.

Kate chuckled. "Of course, but only to visit some relatives. I've never actually stayed here a whole summer."

Rick smiled. "Well, I'm glad to give that opportunity. Mother, Alexis, and I come here every summer. Alexis usually hangs out with her friends and Mother is usually off somewhere."

Kate bit her lip. "And you?"

"I usually go to social events and parties that the neighbors hold."

"Do you go alone?"

"Yes, but I didn't always leave alone," he admitted softly.

Kate sighed. "I'm not naive, Rick. I know you probably brought someone home with you."

Rick frowned, reaching across the chair and taking her hand. "However, the few women I have brought home meant nothing to me. You though, you mean more to me than words can describe." Kate looked at him and saw a certain emotion in his eyes. She was pretty sure it was love. She smiled before looking away, feeling a slight flush on her cheeks.

"Thank you," she murmured. They were quiet for a few moments, before Kate got up. Rick raised an eyebrow in question. "I'm going to go take a shower, I kind of need one." She chuckled before heading back inside. As she walked into the bathroom, she tried to calm herself as she began to prepare for that night.

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Rick groaned as he looked at his reflection in the foggy mirror. He was slightly nervous as he knew what was going to happen. Rick almost scoffed. He was Richard Castle, supposed playboy and ladies' man, he had no reason to be nervous. However, he was, since the woman on the other side of the door was Kate. The woman who had come into his life and stolen his heart. He chuckled to himself. The author knew it sounded cliché, but he could not help it. Kate brought out that side of him.

Rick stepped back from the mirror and examined himself. He was freshly showered and only wore a pair of boxers. He looked at his chest and frowned at his almost non-existent abs. It was not like he had complaints before, but he probably could be a little more buff. He shrugged, knowing nothing could be done about it and he just hoped Kate liked it.

Finally, he took a deep breath before walking towards the door leading to his bedroom and opened it. The sight that greeted made him stop, and almost gawk. The lights had been dimmed, giving the room a serene atmosphere. However, it was what was in the middle of the bed that made the author stop.

Kate sat on the bed, her legs tucked under her. She smiled at him, her curled hair framing her face and falling down to her shoulders. He noticed that her makeup was off and it touched him that she was willing to expose so much of herself to him at once. As he was staring, she rose off the bed and walked towards him. Her legs looked long in the blue, satin baby doll she was wearing. The fabric stretched over her body, accenting her breast area and butt. The outfit lift little to the imagination and Rick felt himself reacting to the sight in front of him.

Kate sauntered over to him seductively and ran a finger down his chest.

"See something you like?" she teased, whispering in his ear before nipping at it playfully. Rick groaned before grasping her shoulders.

"Very much," he murmured, before pulling her in for a kiss. The kiss sent a heat through his veins and he groaned, pressing himself against her. Her response was a moan, which only spurred him on further. His hands traveled to her waist as his lips moved to her neck, sucking on it.

"Rick," she gasped breathlessly, her hands digging into his hips. The sound made him tighten his grip on her waist, bunching up what little fabric there was. Moving his lips to her shoulder blade, he slowly removed the thin strap on her shoulder, before completely removing it. He then worked on the other one as his lips continued their journey down his girlfriend's body.

Kate stopped for a moment, gently pushing him away. He looked at her confusion, but grinned as she stepped out of the lingerie, letting it fall in a messy pool by her feet. His eyes roamed her glorious body before pulling her back to him.

"Beautiful," he murmured against her lips.

"You're not so bad yourself," she teased as his hand moved to fondle a breast. She hummed in delight as her fingers clutched the waistband of his boxers, pulling them down. Her eyes widened slightly at what she saw and he smirked. She rolled her eyes in response. Leaning into his ear again, she whispered seductively.

"Now take me to bed," she purred, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Your wish is my command," he joked, before guiding them to the bed. He gently laid her on the bed, his body hovering over hers. "Are you sure?" He looked at her carefully and she just smiled in response.

"I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't," she responded softly, before kissing him passionately, her fingers grasping his hair. He kissed with the same passion, his fingers winding in her brown locks. He lowered himself onto her and she gasped softly, before chuckling.

They stayed in a state of bliss and ecstasy for the rest of the night.

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Kate groaned as she woke to sunlight streaming through the window. She opened her eyes and looked out the bedroom window, gazing into the morning sun. She felt something warm next to her and she turn over to find Rick sleeping, his mouth slightly open and letting out soft snores. Kate thought he looked a little adorable like and chuckled slightly. The sound caused the man next to her to grunt and open his eyes.

"Huh? What time is it?" he mumbled.

"Almost nine," Kate answered, running a hand through his hair.

"'S early," he mumbled, turning into his pillow. "Two more hours." He reached for her and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him. Kate snuggled herself into him, wrapping a leg around his waist.

"Maybe only an hour," she said, resting her head on his chest.

"Or we could do something else to wake ourselves up." He playfully pulled at the sheet she was still tangled in.

Kate raised an eyebrow. "I thought you would be tired out from last night's activities."

Rick snorted. "I'll have you know my stamina is perfectly fine. Although after last night, you shouldn't really be questioning that." Kate looked up to see him smirking. She just rolled her eyes. Then, recalling the previous night's events, she sighed.

"Last night was fantastic," she said, looking up at him.

"It certainly was." He chuckled, cupping her right cheek. His thumb traced over the rough flesh, earning a hum of contentment from Kate.

"So, what do you want to do today?" she asked.

"Stay here all day and figure out all the ways to make your body respond. Of course we'll need to stop for food," he replied, his hand going down her arm.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Besides that."

"Walk along the beach, explore the town? There's a lot to do."

"A walk along the beach sounds nice." Kate got up from the bed and she felt his eyes roaming her backside."I'm going to take a shower."

Rick pouted. "But you took one last night," he groused.

Kate chuckled. "Yes, but I smell of sweat, I need to clean myself."

"You smell perfectly fine to me."

Kate smirked as she walked towards the bathroom and then turned around.

"You can come and join me, you know." She held out her hand to him and Rick smiled like a kid on Christmas Day. The brunette shook her head before dragging her lover into the bathroom with her.

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AN: So, should I go hide in a corner somewhere? I tried to make it steamy, but I'm really sure how well I did. Also, I know the ending was kind of cheesy. So, as always, constructive criticism is welcome.


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